That is the Question......
--Leaders push themselves when they are winning and take the pressure off when things are not going right
Years ago, my mentor took me to the horse races at Del Mar Raceway in California. He said that this was an awareness test and asked me to watch the first race and tell him what I saw. I told him I saw a bunch of four legged animals running around in circles. Wrong answer.
He instructed me to watch the second race and tell him what I saw. I told him I saw a bunch of foolish people in the stands throwing their money away betting. "Not the answer I am looking for," he replied.
This went on for three more races. Finally he said, "In the next race, watch which horses they are whipping."
In the next race I saw that only the horses in the front half of the pack were whipped. He told me to remember that.
Most people have it backwards. When you are doing well, that's when you want to whip yourself to go faster. But most people, if they do well, reward themselves by taking the afternoon or week off.
In the military there is an interesting principle where you reinforce when you are winning. If you break through an enemy's position, that is when you send in reserves to deepen the penetration of your force.
When you are doing poorly, like the horses coming in last, don't whip yourself. Take the afternoon off. That's when most people whip themselves to work harder--when they aren't doing so well.
They have it backwards.
When you are not doing well, take time off, get your head straight and then tackle the business at hand or whatever the project is. Most people have it backwards and whip themselves at the wrong time.
TAKEAWAY!
When you are doing well, push yourself harder. When you are doing poorly, take time off to get your attitude straight.
Action Step #1
Take a moment to think of where in your life you are pushing yourself hard and getting little return. Are you working even more hours at work and making little or no more money?
Are you spending more time in a relationship but it is not getting more intimate or exciting? Are you praying exhaustively and not getting more intimate with God?
Now, find a way to take a break so that when you go back to that activity it is with a different viewpoint.
Action Step #2
Take a moment to identify where you have momentum in your success. How can you push yourself even more in that area?
An Example
When my mentor took me to the horse races, I was a marketing director for his seminars in San Diego, California. I had had tremendous success building the attendance up from nine people in a seminar when I got there to 70 people! Then things started to slide.
I pressed myself harder to try and turn it around. The marketing plan involved many volunteers.
As I pressed myself harder I became less fun or inspirational to be around so fewer volunteers helped. So, I pressed myself even harder and fewer volunteers came around.
The downward spiral had sunk to where we had only 32 people in a class. That was when my mentor stepped in to correct the belief systems that were running my behavior.
He had me take a week off in Mexico, and when I came back I was totally refreshed and the class size started to increase--even though there was one week less to build the seminar, because of my vacation.
"Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation. It is better to be alone than in bad company"
--George Wahington
By: Brian Klemmer
