Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 23rd

Mental Toughness is a personality trait that determines your ability to perform consistently under stress and pressure, and is closely related to qualities such as character, resilience, grit and perseverance. – David Goggin

Over the years in her personal and professional life, that author has seen the importance of staying calm under pressure and the importance of resiliency and discipline.  The author believes that these traits do not have to be in a person when they are born and can be developed over time with intentional work and discipline.  These important traits are what many people consider mental toughness.  According to Mental Tough Partners, mental toughness is:   

 

“…is a personality trait that determines your ability to perform consistently under stress and pressure, and is closely related to qualities such as character, resilience, grit and perseverance.”

 

When the author thinks of mental toughness, she thinks of the United States military and the elite special operators in the various branches including the Navy SEALs, the Army’s Green Berets and Delta Force.  There are other special forces, but the author has the most knowledge about the Navy SEALs because she listens to their podcasts and had the amazing opportunity to skydive in a tandem jump with one.  Through these various opportunities, she has learned that they truly are caring individuals, but when they have a mission to complete, they are focused and all about the job. 

 

People think SEALs are cold-blooded, heartless, wound-up, brainwashed killers. They imagine you can just point a SEAL in a direction and say, 'Go kill.' The truth is you're talking about a bunch of kind-hearted, jovial guys. The only thing that separates them is mental toughness. – Howard E. Wasdin

 

Over the coming weeks, the author is going to talk about lessons she has learned in her quest for mental toughness and her plan to continue her quest to be mentally tough. 

 

ACTION: What does mental toughness mean to you?  What areas do you want to work on in the coming months to be calm under pressure?

 

 

Resources

 

·       https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/18-things-mentally-strong-people-do.html#:~:text=1%20They%20practice%20gratitude.%20Counting%20their%20blessings,%20rather,They%20set%20healthy%20boundaries.%20...%20More%20items...

·       https://graphicspedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/18-Principles-Followed-By-People-Who-Are-Mentally-Strong-Infographic.jpg

·       https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201606/18-things-mentally-strong-people-do

·       https://sofrep.com/news/stoicism-how-to-survive-like-a-special-operator/

·       https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/3-secrets-of-superachievers.html

·       https://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/7-tips-from-super-achievers-for-insane-productivity/

·       https://www.military.com/special-operations/top-5-qualities-of-special-operations-troops.html

·       https://www.mensjournal.com/features/what-you-can-learn-from-navy-seals-about-grit-and-mental-toughness/

·       https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/mental-toughness-quotes

·       https://www.mentaltoughness.partners/the-origins-of-mental-toughness/#:~:text=In%20his%20book%20The%20New%20Toughness%20Training%20for,your%20talent%20and%20skill%20regardless%20of%20competitive%20circumstances.%E2%80%9D

·       https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-the-us-militarys-most-elite-special-operators#6-delta-force-11

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 16th

 

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. - Jimmy Dean

 

Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong. - Ella Fitzgerald

 

As we end the first quarter of 2021, it is time to conduct a quick review of the progress toward goal achievement.  How is the reader progressing on their goals?  Is the reader where they expected to be at this time?  Is there a particular goal that the reader should focus on in the 2^nd quarter that may not have been their focus in the 1^st quarter?  Take time to evaluate and as the author has discussed over the last couple of weeks “tweak” 2021 goals as the reader progresses on the bridge toward accomplishing their dreams.

 

When the author set her goals at the beginning of 2021, she set a goal to visit 20 new places that could be a city, park, memorial, etc.  At first, the author was concerned because she questioned if the goal was a S.M.A.R.T. goal, but after analyzing the goal she believes it is.  Contemplating this goal, the author realized she set this goal for herself for many reasons including she loves to travel, wants to see new places and desires to learn new things.  Additionally, the goal was to push her outside her 800 square foot apartment.  If the author does not have a goal to do something, she often will not.

 

How is she doing on her goal?  She has visited 19 new places so far.  Once she hits 20, she plans to continuing traveling to more places.  The importance of this goal was grasped by the author Sunday afternoon as she was finishing John Maxwell’s book titled Intentional Living – Choosing a Life that Matters.  Maxwell talks about how he and his wife give their family experiences so they can spend time together.  He proceeded to say all family members know that at some point during the trip he will ask “What did you love, and what did you learn?” (p. 254).  Continuing on, he explains that experiences are great, but evaluated experiences are the best teacher.  He and his wife are intentional in developing experiences that teach something to their family and provides growth. 

 

If we are intentional in life, everything we do can be a learning opportunity.  For the author, she experienced this last weekend on her day trip to Dover, Delaware.  Walking around the area where the Old State House is located, the author was reminded that Delaware was the first state to consider and ratify the Constitution of the United States.  This decision was made in Elizabeth Battell’s Golden Fleece Tavern.  The tavern is no longer standing, but there is a plaque commemorating this historical decision.  The author never considered that taverns were places were government officials met to make major decisions in 1787.

 

Goals are established to help move individuals closer to their dreams. Goals can be tweaked throughout the year.  The importance is being intentional in growth and development. 

 

Action is what converts human dreams into significance. - John C. Maxwell, Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters

 

ACTION: Take time this week to review your 2021 goals.  What changes do you need to make in the 2^nd quarter of the year to ensure you accomplish all of your goals this year?

 

Resources

 

·       Maxwell, John. (2015).  Intentional Living – Choosing a Life that Matters.  Center Street. 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 9th

 I don't believe in growing at your pace, I believe in pacing your growth. The former feeds on luck, the latter is intentional. -  Asuni LadyZeal

 

If you are willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you. – Anonymous

 

As the author discussed last week, she had to revise her learning plan for 2021 in regards to learning about leadership.  Terri Savelle Foy has stated that people ask her what diet plan they should go on.  She says, “the one you stick with”.  In the same way, the author realized she could learn about leadership in many different ways and what was important is that she created a plan, stuck with it and implemented what she learned.

 

The author decided to revise her goals to read one leadership book a month and signed up to receive two motivational speaker’s daily emails.  These daily emails arrive in her inbox at different times and include some type of audio.  When she listens to them, the short snippets of information provide a great lesson that stews in the author’s brain throughout the day and she implements when interacting with coworkers.   

 

In addition, the author does not just listen to these speakers.  In these two-to-three-minute videos, the author learns a lesson and then types it up in her spreadsheet where she tracks her daily learning.  By taking time to listen and record it, she is utilizing two learning styles, which helps her retain the information better.

 

Another thing the author realized was that she was not enjoying all of her reading and has returned to reading more historical books, which brings a smile to her face. 

 

Small changes in a learning plan can have a drastic impact on someone’s life. 

 

ACTION:  When 2021 started, the author would never have thought to listen to videos or podcast for learning about leadership, but it has had a major impact on her life.  What did you not think you would do in 2021 for your learning plan that if you tried now might actually change the trajectory of your life?  Why not try it this week?

Resources

·       https://www.terri.com/whats-the-plan/

·       https://www.awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/35-inspirational-quotes-learning/

·       Hardy, Darren. (2019). The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success (Audio Book). Blackstone Publishing.

·       https://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/whats-so-critical-about-simple-daily-practices/

·       https://www.sitrakaratsimba.com/the-compound-effect/

·       https://youngprofessionalbford.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-compound-effect/

·       https://www.stack.com/a/emotional-toughness

·       http://www.lbushcolejr-pd.info/uploads/9/8/1/5/9815519/routine_power.pdf

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 2nd

 Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others' choices make us. - Richie Norton

 

Success is a choice; you choose it and work it out! Excellence is deliberate and so it is intentionally pursued. No successful person ever remained idle for success to knock his/her door for him/her. ― Israelmore Ayivor, Dream Big!: See Your Bigger Picture!

 

Two months into 2021…wow!  It has gone so fast and the author has lived intentionally more in 2021 than ever in her life.  As the author has reflected on the last two months, she realized her previous words of the year have never impacted her as much as “intentional” has in 2021. 

 

Throughout the past two months, the author has learned many things and has changed her daily routine, which is all part of continuing on the path to grow and being intentional on the bridge to accomplishing her dreams and goals.  In developing her goals, the author stated that she wanted to learn about leadership to develop for her current career position and prepare for the future.  This is a great goal and the author thought this would mean reading leadership books to learn.  However, she had a revelation about a month ago.  She can read all of the leadership books in the world, but until she implements what she reads it is not beneficial. 

 

Additionally, the author realized there are so many leadership books available and she is often enthralled by the latest “hot author”.  However, is that the best author to learn from?  Lastly, the author discerned that she was reading to increase the pages completed on her goal tracking spreadsheet, but not remembering what she consumed. 

 

For the author, she had to step back and contemplate how to be intentional in her learning. 

 

What did the author do?  She changed her learning plan and became intentional in her learning.  How?  Read next week’s blog post to find out!

 

ACTION:  How has 2021 started for you?  What do you need to be intentional about and change to help you accomplish your dreams and goals?

 

Resources

·       https://www.terri.com/whats-the-plan/

·       https://www.awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/35-inspirational-quotes-learning/

·       Hardy, Darren. (2019). The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success (Audio Book). Blackstone Publishing.

·       https://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/whats-so-critical-about-simple-daily-practices/

·       https://www.sitrakaratsimba.com/the-compound-effect/

·       https://youngprofessionalbford.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-compound-effect/

·       https://www.stack.com/a/emotional-toughness

·       http://www.lbushcolejr-pd.info/uploads/9/8/1/5/9815519/routine_power.pdf

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 23rd

Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals. -Jim Rohn

 

A champion doesn't become a champion in the ring, he's merely recognized in the ring. His “becoming” happens during his daily routine. - Joe Louis

 

Jack Nicklaus was known for his pre-shot routine, which included setting up his shot, establishing his stance, looking at the target and then swinging the golf club.  Why is this important?  His consistency was tracked at a golf tournament to a second or less of variance on every shot he took.  No matter what happened, he maintained consistency and it helped him become one of the best golfers of all time.  However, other golfers did not have the same discipline and consistency in their routine.  They would get frustrated and speed up their routine, which would cause various issues when they swung their golf club.

 

What does Jack Nicklaus teach us?  Consistency is key!

 

As the author has discussed her “5” things she does each day, she has learned a few things:

·       Be Intentional - Do the same actions at the same time every day.  By being intentional, the author will not be delayed or hindered from accomplishing her daily routine.  If she does not complete something during her morning time, many times the author will not go back and complete that part of her routine later in the day.

·       Focus – Each day, it is the decision of the author to have personal growth.  She focuses on the areas that are important for accomplishing her goals and dreams and is consistently moving on the bridge toward her dreams and goals.  

·       Accomplishment - By completing the “5” early in the morning, the author puts herself first.  Additionally, accomplishing things early in the day sets the author up with a growth mindset and she continues this throughout her day.  

 

Once the daily routine is complete, the rest of the day is free to do whatever the author desires.  

 

Routine is not a prison but the way to freedom from time. – Mary Sarton

 

ACTION:  Do you have a daily routine for personal growth?  If not, create one.  If you do have one, are there any changes you need to make as we get into full swing in 2021 to accomplish your goals and dreams?

 

 

Resources

·       Hardy, Darren. (2019). The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success (Audio Book). Blackstone Publishing.

·       https://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/whats-so-critical-about-simple-daily-practices/

·       https://www.sitrakaratsimba.com/the-compound-effect/

·       https://youngprofessionalbford.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-compound-effect/

·       https://www.stack.com/a/emotional-toughness

·       https://www.gltgolf.com/golf-blog/golf-psychology-blog/golf-psychology-pre-shot-routine-jack-nicklaus-and-visualization.html

·       http://www.lbushcolejr-pd.info/uploads/9/8/1/5/9815519/routine_power.pdf

·       https://golf.com/news/jack-nicklaus-watched-learned-play-golf/

  

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 16th

 

Success is the sum of small efforts - repeated day in and day out. - Robert Collier 

 

The magic is doing the simple things repeatedly and long enough to ignite the miracle of the Compound Effect. – Darren Hardy

 

As the author has discussed, she has been walking on the “bridge” from where she was to where she is going.  Along this journey, she implemented the “Rule of 5” and has been consistently and intentionally doing a daily routine that has prepared her for such a time as this.  Furthermore, she chooses to continue walking on the bridge to her dreams in life, which will include regularly reviewing her routine to ensure she is growing and developing. 

 

Why are the consistent, repeated actions so important?  Darren Hardy has a book called The Compound Effect.  The overall premise is that consistent, repeated actions in a daily routine compound over time preparing the reader to accomplish their goals. 

 

In the book, Hardy gives the following formula to accomplish goals:

 

YOU —> CHOICE (decision) + BEHAVIOR (action) + HABIT (repeated action) + COMPOUNDED (time) = GOALS

 

Accomplishing goals and dreams starts with the reader making a decision and intentionally doing those actions daily.  It takes motivation to start, but it takes discipline and routine to keep the momentum going.  Continually doing these actions compounds over time moving the reader closer to accomplishing their goals and dreams.    

 

ACTION:  How has the compound effect impacted your life? 

 

 

Resources

·       Hardy, Darren. (2019). The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success (Audio Book). Blackstone Publishing.

·       https://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/whats-so-critical-about-simple-daily-practices/

·       https://www.sitrakaratsimba.com/the-compound-effect/

·       https://youngprofessionalbford.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-compound-effect/

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 9th

 All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all the troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. – Walt Disney

 

You don’t get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that get results. Most

leaders obsess about outcomes and undervalue processes. Good outcomes follow good processes. – Craig Groeschel

 

When the author was in Texas for the holidays, she had lunch with her aunt and uncle.  During lunch, the author’s aunt asked the author what she did in her job.  The author tried to explain everything she did.  As she continued to talk, the author made the comment that it was amazing what she had accomplished in sixteen months at her job.  Her aunt said, “You have been preparing for this for a long time.”  That one statement is a summary of what the author has been writing about for the last month and half.      

 

The author implemented the “Rule of 5” in her life years ago before she knew there was a name for it.   She started reading and stating positive affirmations.  When the author found podcasts, she started slowly implementing those into her life and now devours them to learn new things.  Since the author is an auditory learner, podcasts are great for her to learn while walking, lifting weights, walking to the metro, driving, etc.  On top of that, the author knows what her passions and dreams are, which allows her to target the topics she learns about to help her continue to prepare for the future.  

 

With the Rule of 5, consistency and intentionality, the author has been preparing for where she is now.  As she continues to grow and develop, she continues to learn new things in regards to her goals, dreams and passion.  While on this journey, the author is walking on the “bridge” to her next adventure.     

 

One additional thing, all of the adversity that the author has encountered has also prepared her for where she is now.  As the author has matured, she has learned to take a difficult experience, analyze it and then see if she needs to change something in her life or continue on her growth plan.  The author has not met anyone that loves adversity, but adversity definitely prepares us to accomplish our dreams and goals. 

 

ACTION:  Take time to think back 5, 10 or 15 years in regards to your dreams.  How far have you come?  Write down how you have grown to encourage yourself when frustration and doubt come into your mind.

 

Resources

·               1https://www.facilethings.com/blog/en/micro-tasks.html  

·               https://thehumanfactor.biz/three-steps-to-creating-an-intentional-culture/

·               https://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-helpful-guide-to-living-an-intentional-life/

·               https://www.bates-communications.com/bates-blog/great-leadership-style-the-power-of-intentionality

·               https://www.simplyfiercely.com/an-intro-to-intentional-living/

·               https://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/mark-cole-do-you-want-to-grow/

·               https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-develop-traits-that-build-wealth-get-rich-2019-5

·               https://www.success.com/beyond-resolutions-the-complete-guide-to-achieving-your-new-year-goals/

•                  http://meaningring.com/2014/07/18/the-law-of-consistency-by-john-c-maxwell/ 

•                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X6PNJEqMrs&t=441s

 

 

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 2nd

Continuous effort -- not strength nor intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential. –Winston Churchill

 

Consistency of effort over the long run is everything. – Angela Duckworth

 

As the author mentioned last week, she has incorporated the “Rule of 5” into her life for many years, but she did not realize the approach had a name.  The author will tell you that it is easy to create a list of things to do daily, but it is the consistency of day after day that will develop and grow the reader.  Last week, the author stated in the actions section to plan a time to complete the “Rule of 5”.  For this concept to work, there has to be consistency. 

 

In a video John Maxwell posted on YouTube called “Developing the Leader Within You”, he talks about how self-discipline is the bridge between good intentions and good actions.  Daily we have to be intentional, consistent and disciplined to complete these actions no matter what.  The “Rule of 5” has to be completed while on vacation, hard days when we want to stay in bed because it is snowing, days we are not motivated because we do not see how the actions are changing us and even holidays.  Consistency day in and day out. 

 

When the author was on her adventure to Ocean City, Maryland, she took an amazing picture of a wooden bridge leading to the ocean.  As the reader knows, the ocean is the author’s favorite things and she remembers telling herself the picture she took would be the inspiration for a blog post and it is today.  The picture is of an exquisitely, beautiful day with little cloud coverage.  As the picture shows, the bridge is what leads the author to her favorite thing.  In the same way as we are consistent and disciplined daily to complete our “5”, those traits are the bridge that move us closer and closer to our dreams and goals. 

 

It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives.  It’s what we do consistently. – Tony Robbins

 

 

ACTION:  What do you plan to do to implement consistency in your life to complete your Rule of 5 each day, which will be the bridge to help you accomplish your dreams and goals?

 

Resources

·       http://meaningring.com/2014/07/18/the-law-of-consistency-by-john-c-maxwell/

·       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X6PNJEqMrs&t=441s