Let’s Shoot for Average

Let’s Shoot for Average

Hey! I have an idea… let’s all shoot for average! I’m sure if we really focus, apply ourselves and concentrate really hard, we can make it to average. My good friend and State Farm Agent in Griffith Indiana, Ron Pierce says “Average… the worst of the best or the best of the worst.” Is that what you really want… to be the worst of the best or the best of the worst? Seriously? You need to know… when it’s all said and done, there are are only three things that hold us back… only three and they apply to everyone of us… here are the three:

  • Limiting Beliefs
  • Low Expectations
  • Ineffective Strategies

I know some might say there are more than three… they would challenge with…what about a debilitating disease? Or what about a natural disaster? Another might challenge by asking… what about tragic accident? Pick one or more or add one of your own, it really doesn’t matter.

“Doesn’t matter!” you might ask. Yes and here’s why… Although these can be devastating and tragic, these things happen somewhere in the world almost every minute. As tragic and horrible as they might be, they are really circumstances. In each case there are individuals who rise above the circumstance to achieve some big thing. The late Jim Rohn had a quote that I think about often, “It’s not what happens in the world that determines the major part of your future. What happens, happens to u s all. The key is what you do about it.”

There is one thing I can guarantee you. Absolutely, positively guarantee will happen… The yogurt will hit the fan! Whatever you plan, there will be a wrinkle in it somewhere, sometime, guaranteed. John Maxwell says, Plan and execute your first failure so that you no longer have to fear it.” It’s going to happen…the question is, what will you do about it?

You and I can be better than average. “Everything worthwhile is uphill.” says John Maxwell. Too many times people want uphill results with downhill effort. It’s a choice! Choose wisely. And that’s where the three things that hold us back come into play.

  • A limiting belief says you can’t (add typical and frequent excuse here)
  • A low expectation says, it doesn’t matter others aren’t doing it.
  • The ineffective strategy says, I’ll wait until tomorrow or until things get better or I’ll email versus calling.

Eventually I think everything tracks up to a limiting belief. The damn limiting belief… that’s the start of the cascade of crap. You see our thoughts create our feelings and our feelings create our behavior and our behavior produces the results we get. That process of thoughts to feelings to action to results when you have a limiting belief is called your “B.S. Story” or belief system story. Which usually sounds something like “I didn’t think I could do it.” or worse yet, “I knew it wouldn’t work.” Many time we aren’t even aware. Who’s helping you with your thinking?

Lately, I’ve been noticing and working on this one of the three (pay particular attention to your areas of) Low Expectations. Here’s why… An expectation over time becomes a standard. If you don’t expect much, guess what, you won’t get much. You can’t rely on other’s expectations either, they are busy with their own challenges (and their own three things)

The meeting starts at eight but the person thinks hey, five after or ten after eight won’t matter that much. That then becomes your standard. Not good. The book Tommy (Richardson) and I wrote, Building to Excellence is all about what I’m talking about here and it’s a Guide to Authentic Success. Get a copy here.

My challenge to you this week: Raise your standards and notice your thinking!

Please drop me a line or leave me a comment and let me know how you’re doing.

Register for the Next LeadershipInsights Webinar

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Posted in Uncategorized

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*