YOU GOTTA WANT IT

I have been given the pleasure of mentoring some of the baseball players at the University of San Diego here in town. As you might imagine, playing baseball at the college level isn't easy. Weights and conditioning start at 5:50AM, followed by classes in the morning, baseball practice in the afternoon, and then homework in the evenings. Throw in the games that start Friday and last all weekend. An ambitious schedule to say the least. They are all remarkable young men. All of them have the dream of playing professional baseball.

To achieve your dream, you gotta want it. It has to be an urge inside that can push you past the obstacles when your mind and body are telling you to stop. A great person will achieve their dream only when he is willing to "pay the price" for it.

The most valuable trait anyone can have is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do when it ought to be done whether you like it or not. Having self-discipline is powerful and should be learned at the earliest possible age.

Start tomorrow on developing a plan for improving your self-discipline. List five areas in your life that lack discipline. Place them in order of your priority for conquering them. Then take on the first one by spending fifteen minutes each morning getting focused in order to get control of this weak area in your life. Give yourself sixty days to work on this one area until you go to the next one.

Remember, having it all doesn't mean having it all at once. The slow accumulation of small disciplines will one day make a big difference and get you closer to the big leagues.
    

WINNING ISN'T BY ACCIDENT

I read a wonderful article on the Core Values of a Winning Team by John Maxwell. The article tells of the five C's for developing a winning team. Here is a short summary on the article.

The first is COMMITMENT. I have never seen a successful team without 100% commitment to the cause and common vision of the team. Everyone need to be pulling in the same direction. To have full commitment, a team must have a full understanding of the vision.

The second is CONTRIBUTION. In order for a team to succeed, each team member must contribute their all. They should be committed in making a meaningful contribution to the team. They must get their work in.

The third is COMPETENCE. It goes without saying that you must be the most competent in your field. Always be a student of your craft. Get your work in. Listen and ask questions to those who have high competence in your field.

The fourth is COMMUNICATION. The single most important part of leadership is communication. To achieve maximum potential, communication must be candid and direct. Be honest and open. Open communication is healthy and fosters trust. Also, do not sit on communication. Fast is the key ideal.

Finally, the fifth is COOPERATION. All your strength is in unity. Cooperation assumes a certain level of maturity and a commitment to understanding. Cooperation requires trust. Without full trust, little can be accomplished. Respect is also essential for cooperation.

John Maxwell's message in this article is that winning is on purpose, and you do it as a team. You also get ahead by helping others achieve their success. You will be far more successful if you have an others-oriented attitude than a me oriented attitude.

Is there someone who you can help achieve their success?