"Knowledge becomes wisdom only after it has been put into practical use." Unknown

"Seek freedom and become a captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty."
Frank Herbert

In this issue we continue to look at what makes an "elite performance mindset" as discussed in a study conducted by Dr. Ray Metcalfe. In researching "elite performers," (those in the top 5% of their profession), Dr. Metcalfe found that elite performers have six strengths present, which allow them to perform at an exceptional level. These strengths are:

** Elite performers think well
** Elite performers are bold
** Elite performers bounce back
** Elite performers have strong interpersonal skills
** Elite performers are practical
** Elite performers are disciplined.

Please see the earlier issues on this blog for Parts 1, 2, and 3. This issue looks at the last two qualities of an elite performance mindset: being practical and being disciplined.

The quality of being practical the ability to take ideas and apply them in a realistic way. It includes the willingness to try new things, as well as the ability to let go of what isn't working. My view is that the more ways you can think of to accomplish something, the more likely it is that you will succeed. I find that people often have just one or two ways to do something. If those ways don't work, it leads to frustration or just abandoning the idea completely. Being willing to do some creative problem solving, trying different things, and willingness to let go of one way in favor of something else can make the difference between success and "failure." To me, being practical is also the quality of living by one's own standards for what is "practical." Elite performers aren't likely to allow others to tell them what can and can't be done - they live by their own standards and expectations. Was Thomas Edison "practical" when he continued to try hundreds of new ways to invent the light bulb? I imagine many people at the time said he wasn't. But Edison lived by his own standard of what was practical, and through his continued efforts, changed the world. Some tips for being "practical" are:

1) Ask yourself "how can I" or "how else can I" questions. Believing that there is an answer that just needs to be discovered can keep you moving.

2) Brainstorm. Brainstorming means coming up with any idea, no matter how impractical, and writing it down. Invite others to help you brainstorm. Remove the limits of practicality until you've created a list of several options. THEN begin to ask "how could I do this" questions. How many times have we heard that something couldn't be done, and then before long, someone did it?

3) Redefine success and failure. Thomas Edison is quoted as saying, during his attempts to build a light bulb, "We now know a thousand ways not to build a light bulb." Success for him was learning yet another way NOT to build the light bulb.

Regarding the quality of being disciplined, Dr. Metcalf found that elite performers planned their activities carefully and then followed their plan. What could be more simple?! I think discipline has a bad rap. For many people, "discipline" has negative associations. As kids, we are "disciplined" when we don't follow the rules and need to be punished. Then, as we get older, discipline means studying, or practicing an instrument, or doing chores, rather than hanging out with friends. By the time we reach adulthood, many of us don't want to have anything to do with discipline. Yet discipline is actually freeing, rather than constraining. It helps to remove the sense of inertia and the mental battles of what you "must" do versus what you "want" to do. If you want to change the results in your life, streamline your focus and energy, and be more disciplined, here are some tips:

1) Change your definition of discipline. When I discovered my own very negative association with discipline, I asked myself 1) What can being more disciplined do for me? and 2) How can I create my own style of discipline? I decided my particular style of discipline would be joyful and creative (no, those don't have to be a contradiction in terms with discipline!). Once I was associated to the value and the pleasure of discipline, it became much easier.

2) Remember a time you created a plan and followed it through to completion. How did that feel? What were the results? Now think of something you wanted and you didn't create a plan, or you didn't follow through. How did that work for you? In your experience, which way works best for YOU? (And yes, I realize that's a loaded question!)

3) Start small and build. As you can tell from my story, embracing the power of discipline is still pretty new to me. So I implemented a "Joy of Daily Discipline" routine in the morning. I made a list of the little things I want to do each morning as a ritual. It significantly increased my success rate for expressing discipline.

4) Get a support system. Use your calendar to schedule your commitments to yourself. Ask someone to hold you accountable to follow your plan until it becomes more natural for you. Give yourself rewards for success, pain for not following through, and celebrations all along the way.

5) Be patient and assess. If this is a new process for you, recognize that you won't be perfect at it. Don't create excuses to abandon your plan. Instead, assess what is working well (build on that success) and where the challenges are. Seek ways to leverage the success and find alternatives for what isn't working.

6) Make "I am disciplined" part of your identity. Throw out your old language of "oh, I'm just not good at that" and create a more empowering identity for yourself. Remind yourself, "I follow through," or "I'm great about sticking to my plan no matter what." The more you view yourself as disciplined, a planner, and someone who follows through, the easier and more natural the process will be.

Discipline is truly a key to success for everyone. Contrary to the perception of many people, discipline reduces struggle and amplifies results. You ARE capable of being disciplined, no matter what your past experience has been!

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You now have the keys to being elite: think well, be bold, bounce back, relate well to others, be practical, and be disciplined. Based on Dr. Metcalfe's research, these qualities contribute to an "elite performance mindset" that helps people achieve exceptional results, no matter what their background or profession. Over the course of this series, what have you learned about yourself? How are you becoming like that top 5% of performers, the elite ones that have the greatest success? Remember that elite performers demonstrate all six of these qualities. In which area would YOU like to improve to be elite?