by Results have consequences. Win, lose, tread water, whatever the result, the future is affected, often in ways we do not expect. Results are a manifestation of our efforts, the quality of our contributions, of our team, our priorities, of the kind of person we are, and of what life brings that is out of our control. Since results are so important, since they matter so much, our challenge is to position ourselves to consistently get the best results possible no matter the situation.
We train, we learn, we open ourselves to new experiences, we try new things, we venture down unfamiliar paths, take chances, we study the competition and more. Each of these is important. Acting on each makes us better. Doing so increases our chance for success. In the process, we learn more about ourselves, what our potential really is, what we need to improve upon, what we need to do differently.
This is all good. However, doing this with as little personal Noise makes everything even better. We learn more, we improve faster, we grow stronger, we enjoy better results when we have a clear mind, undistracted, uncluttered by our personal Noise.
Studies tell us that multi-tasking does not work. Filling our mind with distrust, fear, anxiety, worry, low self-worth, pettiness, dishonesty and so on keeps us from Being Our Best. Trying to make ourselves and life something we are not in our effort to control and know what cannot be, leaves us pursuing phantoms. We end up failing, falling short of what could have been or achieving pyrrhic goals.
Better choices today, made with a clear mind, set us up for better results today and tomorrow. Better choices today help not just our present, but also our future for we start from a better place, a firmer foundation. This puts on a better path; one filled with better results.
Strong performance is a result of many factors — some out of our control. Knowing what we do and don’t control is key. Taking the steps necessary to continually improve, become better, grow stronger and to accept and embrace oneself as we really are and life as it really is, all move us forward to more consistent high-level results. Will we always win? No. But when we fall short, we will know that we have given it our best, learned from it and are now ready to face life’s next challenge with optimism, passion and greater knowledge of who we really are.
Spending our precious time thinking about, worrying about, being anxious about what MIGHT happen next takes us away from what IS happening. Thinking about what the result might be is not the best way to spend this moment. Yes, we need to know what the desired result is, but our focus needs to be on having a clear, uncluttered, undistracted mind that focuses only on what we are doing now to achieve the result. The better we respond to this moment, the better the result will be. Our response is infinitely better, as is our chance for success, when we have control of our personal Noise. Results are a consequence of our actions; they do not determine it. Thus, our time is better spent attentive to what we are doing now rather than what might happen later. With a clear mind, we can Be Our Best. With a mind filled with fear about what might happen, we are not being our best. We are dividing our attention and so less effective and efficient. Our efforts and the result suffer.
The less time spent thinking about what the game’s result might be, and the more time spent focused on playing the game well, the better the results.
More to Come.
