Champions

I hope you all had a chance to listen to Jim Fannin on last Wednesday's Signature Call. If you didn't please check out the Signature Customer Service Blog for a link to the recording. For those of you that did listen, I am sure you will agree with me that Fannin builds champions. His job is to bring out the best in people to make them champions.

His methods are pretty simple and something I have tried in my own life. I check my S.C.O.R.E level fairly often during the day to make sure I am performing at my best.

SCORE is his method of keeping your head in the game or operating in the zone.

Self discipline;
Concentration;
Optimism;
Relaxation,
Enjoyment



SELF DISCIPLINE:

Self discipline is the ability to properly allocate 2000 thoughts into the arenas of life that matter. If you focus 2000 thoughts on work alone you will not be a champion.
All arenas of concern must be allocated thoughts in order to perform at a champion level. Use Jim's daily thought allocation method to check yourself on this.
Take out a piece of paper and draw circles to represent your major life arenas. Now take the paper and stand about 3 feet above it. Look into the circles and mentally assess how much thought time you are giving to each arena. Now think how much thought you should be giving and reallocate going forward. Note that these allocations will change from day to day.

The other key exercise Jim emphasized was visualizing success and more importantly doing it at the end of the night (30 minutes before sleep). Fannin as well as many others are now showing through science that our subconscious is a powerful force that can be utilized if we visualize success in our life's arenas just before falling asleep. Try this it will change your life.


CONCENTRATION:

The cheetah - picks the best prey in the pack and then attacks. Passes many weaker prey on the way but doesn't stop until he gets his target. Laser like concentration.
Framing - start strong, continue and end strong. Say hello like a champion, look him in the eye until you know his eye color, state his name, say goodbye with energy.
Concentration is focusing all of your mental and physical energy.
90 seconds - the first 90 seconds is undivided attention when doing anything. Check out Jim's video on this -- www.90secondrule.com.
Get in the now.


OPTIMISM
The true champion wins first in his mind then walks into the arena.
Never drop your head. You can't keep a bad thought in your head if it is raised high.

Self talk - change is made by affirmations. Try this 5 second rule - within 5 seconds after mistake visualize and verbalize a positive affirmation.
Another thing I learned from Jim is that every time I have talked to him his greeting is always the same - when asked how are you his response - AWESOME. Try this.

Quote - "I was number one and my ranking just hadn't caught up to me yet"
John McEnroe, pro tennis player


RELAXATION:
Its hard for me to push this one but it is important. You need to learn to do what makes you relax. For some peoples its fishing, golf, movies for others its sky diving, mountain climbing, running marathons. Find your relaxation and try to incorporate that feeling into your daily life. When things get tough visualize being back that in that river fishing or on the mountain climbing. Calm down and then focus back to the job at hand.

"If I had 4 hrs to chop down a tree I would spend 2 sharpening my ax.". - Abraham Lincoln, US President

One visualization I use for this is Michael Jordan running down the court with his tongue hanging out. He is relaxed and in the zone.


ENJOYMENT

I have spoken about this one many times in the past. If you don't like what you are doing stop and do something else. It is impossible to be a champion without enjoying it.

One thing I have done since meeting Jim is I started checking my SCORE before any event ( phone call, meeting, seeing my kids, etc). I ask myself. 1 am I self disciplined, yes/no?, concentrating on the task at hand, yes/no?, Optimistic - do I believe I can make it happen, yes/no?, Relaxed- how is my heart rate low/high?, Enjoying this, yes/no? I use my fingers to click through these five questions. 5 yeses and I am ready to go. If I hit a NO than I mentally work on a solution to turn it to a yes. Try this and please share your results with us.

All great accomplishments have a price. Its the price of thinking differently then everyone else.

Thanks for Making It Happen.

Nick Jekogian.