Whether it’s on a 100-yard football field, a 100-yard dash, or a marathon, the last 10 yards of any goal can be some of the most challenging.

Many people are much more energized by starting something, as compared to finishing something.

Which one are you?

Finishing with excellence is more about your character than the scoreboard.  Finishing strong, and with excellence, comes from deep inside – and over time, builds the type of person you are.  (It’s a BIG deal!)

When time begins to run out, and it’s obvious that apart from a miracle you’re going to come up short, it’s time to make a decision.

The decision to finish strong.  It doesn’t come naturally but rather as a result of discipline.

Projects and deadlines will come and go.  However, WHO you become in the process has long term implications. This is more than a to-do list.

Make these 3 decisions and you will finish with excellence:

1. Decide to spend a little more energy during the last 10 yards.
2. Decide to lead yourself well.
3. Decide to be a person of integrity, to the very end.

You’re close to the goal. Finish the last 10 yards with excellence – because that’s simply who you are!

(July in Leadership for Life - sign up now for training to help you finish well!)

Sales Directors – Includes a Live Training Call for Directors at the first of every month!   ENROLL NOW

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Have you ever looked at others more successful and asked – What is their secret?! 

We tend to pay attention to those who are where we want to be,  and try to identify one of their secrets.

What are they do that I am not doing? 

How do they deal with challenges? 

What did they have for breakfast?

This is the wrong approach in my opinion.  To really discover the secrets of success we have to watch what they do and then try to figure out why they did what they did.

Are you tracking?

One of the characteristics of clients who are very successful is this: they tend to always finish strong.  They never wimp out in the fourth quarter or in the last seconds of the game.  They stay on point, on purpose, and are highly focused until the very end.  They never quit.  (It is amazing how many stories I have heard over the years about amazing results coming in – right at the very end.)

How would you rate your ability to finish and to finish strong?  Let me give you a simple exercise that you should try during your “fourth quarter.”

First, focus more on your performance than the score.  You should be aware of the score, but it is more important to focus your mind to push yourself every day, every hour, and demand the very best performance you are capable of.

Don’t miss a key word in the last sentence.  DEMAND.  This is one of the secrets.  Focusing on the right things and demanding performance from yourself. (The ability is in you, but it’s waiting for you to demand!)

Second, embrace the reality that for a very short time you will “pain yourself” on purpose.  There are times, not all the time, when it is critical that you push your inconvenience beyond the normal limits.  Living for pleasure all the time will basically seal your fate of being average.  If you really want to experience what you are capable of doing, you have to purposefully pain yourself to higher levels of output.

Do you want to wimp out or finish strong?  Answering that question gets right to the heart of the matter.  It’s so easy to blame circumstances and other people – everyone except for yourself.  Those who finish strong are the ones who know how to focus, and who insist on inconveniencing themselves at the right time for the right purpose.

In what area of your business are you in the “fourth quarter”?

In what ways will you demand more of yourself (and “pain yourself)?

See you at the finish line.

As promised, here is the sentence I used on Today’s Leadership for Life training call for Directors:

“I want to apply the right amount of focus and the right amount of energy on the right things and on the right relationships that will move me towards my God given purpose, calling, and the vision he has given me.”

Enjoy!

Next training call:  Wed (4/9) 1pm central.  Click here to register!

We are full!  Soon to announce dates of fall clinic

April 2-4, 2014 – Tulsa Oklahoma

How would you like to join a community of Christian women who want to develop their life coaching and discipleship skills?  How would you like to be more effective in helping others experience their God given potential?

Make New Friends!

The LSLO Coaching Skills Clinic is a two-day learning experience where women willbe trained in the art of coaching. Whether you are just starting out or are well established in your coaching relationships, this clinic will give you practical training on how you can make a real difference in someone’s life.

You will be equipped to confidently coach women and help them move towards a more meaningful life of purpose. 

download the details:LSLO Coaching Skills Clinic – April 2-4 Tulsa OK

I like helping people experience their God given potential and works towards finishing life well.  I tend to specialize in working with very “successful” leaders but in reality, I will spend time with just about anyone who is ready to make the necessary changes to get better at leading themselves well.

The starting place always starts with a conversation identifying the stuff that they have to do for themselves because no one else will.

This of course assumes you know.  Goal setting is really a worthless exercise without clarity of purpose.

Why am I here? (and for some of us “why am I still here?” after some of the dumb choices we have made).

January is about new beginnings because the entire planet universally agrees to hit the reset button and give life a fresh start.

Today, my wife and I are meeting in an hour to share our goals for the new year for our businesses and our personal lives.  Invariably, we will start the conversation centered around our understanding of how we want to use our gifts, talents, resources to pursue our dreams and aspirations.  I like to call it our “sense of calling.”

Why do we spend time setting goals, sharing purpose and vision?  Because this is the stuff only we can do for ourselves.  Living life on purpose and with intentionality has proven over the years to be the way to go.  But it takes discipline to think, plan, commit, and then work.

Its your life to live.  How do you want to spend it?

Self leadership; the stuff only you can do for yourself.

I work hard every year so that I have the freedom to take extensive time off during December.  Not only to catch up on house projects and invest in friendships but also to refresh my worldview.  I have found that my thinking can become dulled throughout the year as a result of my exposure to the media monsters; filtered news outlets, blogs, marketing machines, and my social networks.  I really believe that If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking (George Patton).  Sometimes I spend all my thinking power reacting to what others are trying to get me to think about.  I have to find the reset button and I plan to find it more often this next year.

Do people call you a dreamer?

Or do you lean more towards the practical side?

I spend a great deal of time asking people those 2 questions and absolutely enjoy exploring the thoughts behind their answers.

I used to think that dreamers were strange and never really had what it took to be reliable and successful.  People who tend to always be talking about the future used to make me uncomfortable.  Somewhere along my journey I have become a genuine dream enthusiast.

Dreamers have now become my heroes and I cherish the opportunity to learn about how they worked to move their stories forward toward their dreams.

Dreams are the result of our ability as human beings to imagine what is not, as if it were there.  In other words, the only place the dream exists is in our minds, and for some of us we don’t have very much room to spare!

Are you a dreamer?

I bet you are, but you may need a little encouragement (or repair in your thinking) to give yourself permission to dream big dreams.  We are all born with the gift of the dream, but some of us “wake up” before we can start believing!

What would our world be like if no one had the ability to dream big dreams? What if the naysayers had the power to squelch all dreams before someone found the courage to move towards them?

Since everyone has the gift of the dream, you’re probably either:

A Day Dreamer – Advanced in dreaming, but lacking action.

A Night Dreamer – Only letting your imagination run free when you’re asleep, and “practical” about your business.

What kind of dreamer are you?

Mary Kay Ash is probably the most successful dreamer I have had the opportunity to be around (even from a distance).  She was the perfect model of balancing the courage to dream big dreams with the discipline required to pursue them.  She built a great company that still is thriving today.

Just like me, chances are you could use some growth in your dream-skills – either more dreaming, or more action on those dreams.

This month in Leadership for Life, I will coach you on getting to know the giver of dreams and steps to believing your dreams!

Sales Directors –   ENROLL NOW

Beauty Consultants –  ENROLL NOW

If you want bigger dreams for your Mary Kay career, join us!

One of the topics I often discuss with my clients is their personal relationship with God.  I find the conversation about spiritual

matters very rewarding because it gives me a chance to learn about my own faith as I listen to others talk about theirs.  It is not uncommon for people to ask me to give them ideas on how to improve their devotion to God in addition to attending church.

How would you rate your ability to use passion to create breakthroughs in your business?  Everyone has passion but few know how to use it on a regular basis to grow their business and to advance their leadership.