22 Ways to Become Spectacularly Inspirational

1. Do important work vs. merely offering opinions.

2. Lift people up vs. tear others down.

3. Use the words of leadership vs. the language of victimhood.

4. Don’t worry about getting the credit for getting things done.

5. Become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

6. Take your health to a level called superfit.

7. Commit to mastery of your craft instead of accepting mediocrity in your work.

8. Associate with people whose lives you want to be living.

9. Study for an hour a day. Double your learning and you’ll triple your success.

10. Run your own race. “No one can possibly achieve real and lasting success by being a conformist,” wrote billionaire J. Paul Getty

11. Do something small yet scary every single day.

12. Lead Without a Title.

13. Focus on people’s strengths vs. obsessing around their weaknesses.

14. Remember that potential unused turns into pain. So dedicate yourself to expressing your best.

15. Smile more.

16. Listen more.

17. Read the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.

18. Reflect on the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who said: “Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.”

19. Persist longer than the critics suggest you should.

20. Say “please” and “thank you”.

21. Love your loved ones.

22. Do work that matters.

Do What's Most Difficult

Sam Keen had a great line, “You are caught by what you are running from.” Genius.

We attempt to structure our lives to avoid our fears but that’s about as intelligent as straightening the deck chairs on the Titanic. The best way to overcome a fear is to face your fear. As a matter of fact, every time we do something we’ve been avoiding, we take back the power that seemingly scary or difficult thing had over us.

Every Leader Without a Title and world-class Productive runs toward what they are most resisting versus toward the exit door. They feel the fear of tackling a game changing project and do the project anyway. They acknowledge the sweaty palms before the high-stakes presentation, and give the presentation anyway. They experience the runaway heartbeats accompanying asking for the biggest order in the history of their company, and they ask anyway. And that’s what makes them great.

You Can’t Lead In Fear

Fear ruins more bright lives than you might imagine. Each of us, by virtue of our very human nature, has the potential to Lead Without Title and achieve great things that elevate everyone around us by our model of possibility. But the chattering voice of fear in our heads stops us from playing big.

A little while back I had the chance to spend 3 weeks in New Zealand. And just before I returned home, I had the opportunity to go heli-skiing. Yes, this is where a helicopter drops you off at the top of a mountain, and you ski down.

The experience was challenging, exhilarating and full of rich lessons for growth. Here are some of them, that we can apply to business and life:

1. You Don’t Grow In Normal
All I mean by this is that if you stay within your comfort zone, you don’t grow. But if you instead stretch and face fear head on by going to your limits, you’ll discover your limits will grow.

2. You Don’t Know Until You TryIt would have been easy to refuse the chance to heli-ski. I could have made a thousand excuses. But Leaders Without a Title recognize good opportunities. So I seized it. And because I tried heli-skiing, I not only grew as a skier, I added another experience to my life that will shape all I do.

3. On the Other Side of Your Fears You’ll Find Your Confidence
By doing what we’re afraid to do because it’s beyond our comfort zone, we grow in confidence. The increased confidence I have as a skier because I skied a new peak will translate to increased confidence as an entrepreneur and as a human being.

4. Life’s Short So Get In The Game
A rich life is one made up of many rich adventures. Don’t miss out on enjoying as many as you can.

Keep Leading Without A Title.

15 Ways For You To Do Your Best Work

1. Do your best work by challenging the way you did things yesterday.
2. Do your best work by allowing your passion to see the light of day.
3. Do your best work by becoming part of the solution versus growing the problem.
4. Do your best work by expecting nothing less than you playing at world-class.
5. Do your best work by giving away the credit (especially when you crave it)
6. Do your best work by practicing your skills so you become a virtuoso.
7. Do your best work by releasing excuses and doing important things.
8. Do your best work by getting up when you’ve been knocked down.
9. Do your best work by keeping your promises; to others and to yourself.
10. Do your best work by showing integrity.
11. Do your best work by delivering more value than anyone could ever expect from you.
12. Do your best work by making time to refill your well.
13. Do your best work by having a strong foundation at home.
14. Do your best work by becoming as fit as a pro athlete.
15. Do your best work by doing work that makes a difference and inspires others to do the same.

I’d love to read your comments on the lines I’ve shared above.

5 One Minute Productivity Tactics

1. Have the courage to get great at saying “No Thanks” to any activities that don’t advance your priorities.

2. Take 60 seconds every morning to do a written game plan for a productive day. “The things that get scheduled are the things that get done.”, 

3. Take a few seconds each day to turn off all your technology and work deeply on a key project with zero distraction.

4. Take 60 seconds to breathe deeply and focus on your progress. This will re-energize and refuel you.

5. Take 60 seconds to un-clutter your work area so you create space for your creativity to flow.