Imagine that you...

Won the 2014-'15 NBA MVP award.
...and then you and your team became the 2014-'15 NBA World Champions,
...and then you came back the next season and improved in almost every statistical category including increasing your scoring average by almost 7 points per game,
...and your team won an NBA record 73 regular season games,
...and then you became the first ever unanimous NBA MVP for the 2015-'16 season,
...and despite all that, another one of the league's great players, Lebron James, makes a remark about you possibly not being the "most valuable" player in the league.

How would you feel? How would you react? What would you say?

Well, Steph Curry is the greatest player in the world and this is just another opportunity to learn from the best.

His reaction?

"I've gotten really good at ignoring people." (You can watch it below)

Learn this lesson from Steph:

Ignore those people outside of your circle. They can only impact what you are doing and where you are going if you let them.  Don't listen to the "noise". They don't know what it took to get to where you are. And they don't know what it's going to take to get to where you want to go.

**P.S. That goes both ways! Ignore the hate, but just as important, don't let the mindless praise get to your head either! 

Do you feel like your growth has hit a wall? Do you feel like you're putting in the work but not seeing any improvement?

Are you frustrated by it?

I recently had lunch with a former player that I coached who is thriving towards professional success and an advanced degree, while at the same time making a big impact in his community. During our conversation he brushed over a concept that struck a chord with me and that I think can help a lot of people.

He talked about how when people don't see you but every couple of years, very often they notice how much you've changed since the last time they've seen you. However, on the flip side of that, the people that see you on a daily, or weekly, basis don't think you change much, if at all.

Think about when you were little. As you grew and got taller whoever saw you on a regular basis, whether it was your mom, teacher, friends etc. didn't notice any change in you on a day-to-day basis. But that aunt or grandmother that you had, that lived halfway across the country and that you saw once a year, the first thing she would say when she saw you was how much you've grown and how much you've changed since the last time she saw you!

The reason for that is because of the nature of growth and improvement. It is incremental! And it's hard to notice the small changes in something when we are constantly staring at it.

Here's where it gets challenging...

There is one person who gets to observe you more than anyone else. Even more than the people you see every day. Even more than the people you live with.

It's you!!

So if you're not seeing the growth, if you're not seeing the improvement, realize that it's only because it happens in such tiny jumps that you can't see them when you are observing them that closely.

I have one solution to this problem: 

TRUST THE PROCESS. 

If you are putting in the work (and only you know if you are!) then

TRUST THE PROCESS. 

You may not be seeing the gains but

TRUST THE PROCESS. 

You are putting the work in. You have already made improvements. And there's more growth to come. Stay on the path. Trust the process. You are getting closer to making your dreams come true.

You could be doing more...

More of what's productive.
And less of what's keeping you "busy".

More growing of who you are.
And less trying to be who you think they want you to be.

More of intentionally building better habits.
And less of mindlessly getting swept away by your bad habits.

More of what "Your Greatness" is telling you to strive for.
And less settling for what your inner critic is telling you to accept.

More of what will get you closer to making your dreams come true.
And less of what everyone else is doing.

More to help build the change.
And less fighting to resist it.

More of what matters.
And less of what doesn't.

​
"Everything happens for a reason."

I found myself using that expression a lot the last couple of days.

As I stood there typing those words as part of my reply to a friend's text, I stopped and thought, does everything really happen for a reason?

***

(Things) happen(s).

How we interpret and use those things is our choice. It is 100% under our control. We can lament how the world has conspired against us, or we can realize that everything that happens to us is an opportunity to learn and grow. 

So the next time you use the phrase "Everything happens for reason" ask yourself, is this just a story that I am telling myself or am I actually trying to find the meaning, the lesson, that opportunity for growth, in what has taken place?

Because then, and only then, will that thing have happened for a reason. 

The next step is always harder than the previous one.

As you climb the mountain you have chosen, each step along the path gets harder.  

Do not expect them to get easier.

Do not expect what got you here, to take you to the next level.

Many people start to climb mountains. Few make it to the top.

The higher up the mountain, the fewer people have been there.

The higher you climb, the harder it gets.

The face of the mountain gets steeper and the altitude gets harder to deal with.

The thinning of the air produces a thinning of the field. 

Respect the mountain.  Recognize the effort and focus needed to climb it.

And then commit to climbing one step at a time no matter how hard it gets.

Enjoy the climb!

​-LoveGrowBuild.com
​

It's that time year again!! As we put the holiday season behind us and start the New Year, many of us see this time as an opportunity to re-dedicate ourselves to something or even to start fresh.

It's only natural for us to anchor that feeling to the start of the new calendar year. Starting is the most important part to anything so even though you can start at any time, the New Year is great time to do it!

Resolutions

This is the time of year when everyone is talking, or at least thinking about, what their New Year's resolutions are going to be. I like the theory of resolutions but I wish they were stronger.

The definition of a resolution is "a firm decision to do or not do something". Like I said, I like resolutions. I like the part about them being “firm” and I like that you have to make a “decision”. Every great thing that you do or will do in your life will start with a decision.

I want you to take it to the next level though and here's how...

I like resolutions but I LOVE commitments! A commitment is defined as "an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action".

Engagement. We want to be engaged in what we're doing, always being mindful and intentional as we do it.

Obligation. You should feel bound to do this thing.

And lastly "restricts freedom of action". Once you commit to do that thing you lose your "freedom" to not do it. You will have already decided, so there will be no decision to make later.

I challenge you to make one New Year's commitment. Just one!

Commit to doing one new thing. Take a few minutes to think about it but if you need help here are a few suggestions:

• Read for 30 minutes every day.
• Meditate every day.
• Write down three things that you are grateful for when you wake up every day.
• Before you go to bed write down or share the 3 most awesome or inspiring things you saw or did that day.
• Start a new exercise or workout program
• Devote 30 minutes a day to working on that personal project you've been wanting to complete.
• Call one family member or close friend a day.

Some of my suggestions may seem like very "small" things and you may be thinking that they won't make that big of a difference in your life but the impact will be greater than you think.  If you can muster the willpower to stick to your commitment for 66 days, research shows that you can turn that commitment in to a habit.  

This is where it gets fun.....Not only will you have a new habit but you will also be teaching your mind and body the habit of forming habits! 

Here a few suggestions to follow once you've decided what your new commitment will be:

1. Write it down!  Writing your commitment down will make it more real and will help you keep yourself accountable to it.
2. Take a minute to think about what it will look like. How are you going to do this? Where are you going to do it? Do you need to buy equipment or anything else to get it done?
3. Schedule it!! This is the most important of the three.  We do what we schedule. Don't try to find the time for your commitment each day, MAKE​ the time for it.

I hope this helps you make the changes you want in your life and GROW towards your maximum potential in 2016. Happy New Year!!

​As we learn more about ourselves over time, we learn more about what motivates us. With that knowledge has come an evolution in motivation theory and Daniel Pink is one of those leading the way. Daniel Pink is a best-selling author whose book, Drive, discusses modern-day motivation and introduces his model for it, Motivation 3.0.

The Old Models

At the beginning of mankind, we operated with one basic motivating factor, survival. Gathering food and avoiding predators ruled most of our thinking and actions. Pink calls this instinctual model, based on biological urges, Motivation 1.0.

The Motivation 2.0 model went a step further and was based on a theory that we, as humans, were motivated to seek reward and avoid punishment. This model was widely accepted in motivation and leadership circles for a long time even though it did not account for our uniqueness as human beings and likened us to other animals. The reason I say that is animals, in general, tend to respond to sticks (punishments) and carrots (rewards).

Finally… Motivation 3.0!

Through his research on motivation, Daniel Pink has discovered what he believes to be the new model for what motivates every one of us. Pink's theory is that we are motivated by a combination of the following three things:

1. Autonomy – Autonomy is defined as the freedom from external control or influence. If you stop and think about it, we generally do not like being told what to do! When it comes to work we like to choose: "what we do, where we do it, how we do it and who we do it with". Pink refers to these as a person's "4 T's: their task, their time, their techniques and their team."
2. Mastery – Pink defines mastery as the desire to get better and better at something that matters. We crave the deep sense of engagement and the personal challenge that chasing mastery creates inside of us. 
3. Purpose – Pink claims that those who work "in the service of some greater objective can achieve even more" than those who don't. Purpose, the third motivating factor answers The question "Why?" As opposed to "How?" which "we tend to obsess over".

Autonomy. Mastery. Purpose. The three things that drive us in our lives and consequently the three things that will bring us gratification and happiness when we find the right combination of them. Daniel Pink's Drive is a mind-opening read and a tremendous resource. It has helped me shape the foundation of my leadership philosophy and what I want my life to look like.

There is a passage in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 23:20–21) which recounts the victories in battle of a valiant warrior, Benaiah, who goes on to become a bodyguard for King David. The most impressive, jaw-dropping even, conquest by Benaiah in the verse, however, is the following:

“Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.”

(A LION!!)

Mark Batterson uses this story as the premise for his book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and the concept from that book that I want to explore is the concept of chasing lions.

What does “Chasing Lions” mean?

Chasing lions is a metaphor for facing your fears, taking risks, overcoming adversity and conquering the biggest obstacles in your life. Our fears are like mental lions. They are big, scary and roar loudly whenever we try to step outside of our comfort zone. When we don't chase our lions it can severely restrict our growth. Normal people don't chase lions. But if you're reading this, you're not striving for "normal". You're striving for GREATNESS. You have greatness inside you and chasing your mental lions is crucial to bringing that greatness out.

Is Your Life Story-Worthy

One of the questions that Batterson has the reader ask themselves, and that I want you to answer for yourself is this:

“Are you living your life in a way that is worth recounting in jaw-dropping detail?”

If the answer is YES, then I'd love for you to share your story and the the story of how you got there. If the answer is NO, then ask yourself "Which lions should I be chasing today?" Identify your mental lions, stare them in the face and attack them.

If you would like to read more about chasing your lions I highly recommend reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson.

Last week's quote came from Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists in the history of man. This week we turn to Leonardo da Vinci for our inspiration. While Michelangelo stood above most in the field of art, da Vinci not only painted the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous works of art ever, he also excelled as an inventor, engineer and scientist. If there was ever a man to learn from about mastery and accomplishment it is Leonardo da Vinci.

Here is what he says about people who get things done:

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."


My Takeaways:

1. Action - If you want something to happen for yourself you have to make it happen! Start putting action to your dreams.  A great way to start doing that is through commitments that will get you closer to making that dream come true. (Read more about Dreams & Commitments here). You have to be active in your pursuit, constantly working and staying loyal to your commitments in order to reach your maximum potential and become what da Vinci calls a person "of accomplishment". 
2. Destiny - What I love about this quote is that it implies that you control your own destiny. You can create your own destiny by making things happen and not sitting back and letting them happen to you.  Control, especially over one's destiny, is so empowering!

Don't sit back and let the world decide what your destiny is for you. Create your own destiny. It will require commitments to what you want that destiny to be and those commitments will require action. Consistent action.  If it was good enough for da Vinci then it's good enough for us. And if it worked for him, it will work for you. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I would love your feedback and if you haven't subscribed to the email list yet please do so by clicking here! 

It amazes me when I read a quote like this, from 500 years ago, that the underlying philosophies and concepts behind this message are the same ones that we teach today. Michelangelo, arguably the greatest artist in the history of man, believed in the same ideas that you can learn and read about everywhere you look, including on the Internet, in books and on this blog. Let's explore what I'm talking about.

My Takeaways:

The Growth Mindset - Michelangelo might be recognized as the GOAT, when it comes to art. What's more prestigious than painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?! Experts sometimes use the word "talented" to describe him but not Michelangelo. He doesn't claim talent as the origin of his skill. He says that he gained his mastery! That's what the growth mindset is all about. Skill, or mastery, is not something that is fixed or that you are born with. Skill is grown and nurtured and can be improved over time by deliberate practice and effort.

It's not easy! - Mastery, being great at anything, requires hard work and there is no way around that fact. Michelangelo tells you that he had to work hard to agin his mastery and that there was nothing "wonderful" about it.  

It's not changing. - Michelangelo was alive 500 years ago. His quote proves that the ideas that lead to mastery, the growth mindset & hard work, have been around at least that long.  If the keys to mastery have not changed in over 500 years, it's safe to say that they aren't changing today. If you want to pursue your maximum potential then you have to have a growth mindset, you have to


Recommended & Related Reading:

• Mindset by Carol Dweck - Dweck's book is the bible when it comes to learning about the growth mindset.
• This previous LoveGrowBuild post on The Growth Mindset vs The Fixed Mindset