Crisis and Chaos. Negativity is the currency, fear around Brexit, the economy struggling, the high street is failing. And don’t forget the weather situation. Amid all of this I was asked recently why things are going well in our corner….it was thought provoking. We chatted and decided that there are 6 reasons behind success and we are focused on these this year: 1) Positive choices: Positivity leads to happiness, happiness leads to success. It’s an upward spiral. 2) Mindset: The lens we look through shapes the reality. 3) Body language: Determines the way we think and what we achieve. 4) Optimism: Optimism makes you try harder. Our brains are wired to look on the bright side. 5) Focus: The attention economy (smartphones, social media, advertisers = all fighting for attention). Break the smartphone habits, multi-tasking is distraction. Focus leads to achievement and success. 6) Manageable goals: Limited scope. Concentrate and slowly expand the circle of success. According to legend a masked hero named Zorro roamed… Zorro was resolute, disciplined and fearless. A mix of witty one-liners and effortless skill with women were irresistible qualities. But the lesser known chapter, according to legend, is that Zorro was not always that swashbuckler able to swing from chandeliers and overpower ten men with the slash of his sword. His passion far exceeded his patience and discipline, his quest to assail villains and right injustices desired immediate results. The higher he flew the farther he fell until eventually he felt out of control and utterly powerless. By the time the ageing sword master Don Diego meets him Zorro is a broken man, a slave to drinking and despair.
Don Diego sees potential and takes him under his wing promising mastery and triumph will come with dedication and time. In Don Diego’s lair the elder begins by drawing a circle in the dirt. Hour after hour Zorro is forced to fight only within his small circle “this circle will be your world, your whole life and there is nothing outside it” said Don Diego.
Once Zorro masters this circle he is allowed to attempt greater feats which one by one he achieves, and the circle expands. Soon he is swinging from ropes and beating his trainer in a sword fight. Before this he had no control or sense of his skill, no faith in his abilities, no feeling of control of his own fate. Only after he masters that first circle does he start to become Zorro the legend.
It’s an interesting story…. first concentrate on manageable goals, limit scope of our efforts (draw a smaller circle) then watch as the efforts have the intended effect. Accumulate the resources, the knowledge and confidence to expand the circle gradually conquering a larger area. Zorro didn’t become a swashbuckling swordsman overnight. He mastered his ever-widening circle. Legendary success followed from there. My objective in writing this article was to have a resource to point people to when they wanted more information on positivity and mindset and how it can improve results within your teams, departments and company. In talking to companies, large and small who work with BarrettClark, I realised that many people understand the minds set, but implementing it can be a challenge. Hopefully our blog piece will start that journey for you, your teams and colleagues.
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