| Athletes call it being in the zone. Mike Tyson had it | | | | is impossible to be resoundingly successful at it. |
| early in his professional career. Tiger Woods | | | | Sometimes that means you must change jobs; other |
| demonstrated it in 2000 with unprecedented golf | | | | times it means you must keep in mind the deeper |
| success. Actors talk of actually becoming the role | | | | meaning of your job. For example, let's say you're a |
| they are playing, and they earn Oscars for those | | | | sales representative. If you get focused on the |
| performances. | | | | paperwork and the inevitable rejections and |
| One business executive described it to me as being | | | | frustrations of the sales process, it is harder to enjoy |
| monomaniacal: When your entire focus remains on | | | | what you do. If you keep your eye on the main goal |
| perfecting one thing. It is the pursuit of great | | | | of your job -- making sure your customers have the |
| performers looking to reach the next level. | | | | proper materials to do their important tasks and to |
| What is "It?" It is clarity of thought paired with | | | | provide for your family -- then you can find deep |
| seamless action, and it is a recipe for unparalleled | | | | satisfaction. |
| success. Imagine during your workday you are totally | | | | 2. Create opportunity for uninterrupted focus. |
| focused on being successful. No needless meetings, | | | | Ignore the newspaper and the television. Only talk |
| no non-work-related distractions, no interruptions -- | | | | about what your focus is. You may not be in the |
| just pure focus. How much more could you get | | | | position of a free-lance artist who can eat, breathe |
| done? How much more successful would you be in | | | | and sleep his art -- yet. Start with small steps. Block |
| your job? What if everyone in your department | | | | out a time each day to focus on The Main Thing. If |
| operated in the same way? Sound like science | | | | your most productive, most creative time is first |
| fiction? It doesn't have to be. | | | | thing in the morning, spend your first two hours of |
| Congruency in motion and emotion is the purest | | | | the day on The Main Thing that will help you achieve |
| cause of great success. | | | | your most important goal. No checking email or phone |
| How many of us are even capable of this? | | | | messages first. You'd be surprised how many things |
| Watch children play. Take away the video games, | | | | can wait two hours -- but would consume those two |
| turn off the television, let them have boundless play, | | | | hours if you acknowledged them first. Don't let the |
| and watch congruency in action. My nephew is able | | | | urgent push the important to the back burner. |
| to turn most anything in his hands into the controls | | | | 3. Work hard for refinement. |
| of heavy machinery and the rest of the world is lost | | | | The iPod was a wonderful invention and |
| to where he is and what he has created. His mental | | | | breakthrough for listening to music like never before. |
| focus and his physical actions are completely in sync. | | | | It is a social phenomenon, yet its creators still are |
| In fact, most children are capable of this kind of | | | | constantly refining and in search of the perfect |
| congruency when not cluttered with external stimuli | | | | product. When you work hard to refine, not only do |
| that block this type of thinking or provide the | | | | you improve whatever it is you are working on, but |
| thinking for you. | | | | you also improve the thought process that will take |
| As adults, we need to understand that our energy | | | | you to a higher level of success. What was "good |
| flows where our attention goes. If financial concerns, | | | | enough" last year that you no longer see as "good |
| health issues, and negative information received | | | | enough"? If you are congruent in your thinking and |
| through such channels as televised news or reports | | | | focus, you will constantly be seeking and finding |
| from the head office distract us, we are taken out | | | | refinement and improvement. |
| of our congruency and we become scattered in our | | | | Great successes are constantly looking to maintain |
| thinking and our efforts. | | | | congruency of thought and action to the point they |
| Am I saying to ignore these other issues? No. I am | | | | can turn it on when they need to. Warren Buffet |
| saying you must get these other things in order so | | | | doesn't just happen to be one of the luckiest |
| that you can focus on the important. If you don't | | | | business leaders in the world. His success is |
| take care of your health, for example, you will have | | | | predicated on his clarity of thought and purpose of |
| reduced concentration, higher stress and less | | | | action that in congruency delivers unprecedented |
| endurance. So taking care of your health becomes a | | | | success, which is what makes him the Oracle of |
| prerequisite for creating an environment that | | | | Omaha. |
| facilitates congruency. | | | | What is your Main Thing? What is the one thing that |
| What environment can I create that will help me be | | | | you need to focus all your efforts in pursuit of? Let |
| more congruent? | | | | today be the day you find your clarity of thought |
| 1. Enjoy what you do. | | | | and start aligning all your thoughts and actions to |
| If you aren't tremendously happy at what you do, it | | | | achieve a higher level of success. |