How To Win By Doing Simple Things

Collection of my favorite ideas that I am using right now to win... and I hope you can do the same. 

Strategy 1: A Formula For Breaking Bad Habits

Strategy 2: Who Wins?

Strategy 3: The Alarm Strategist

Strategy 4: I Deserve It

Strategy 5: Rewrite and Rewire

#1: A Formula For Breaking Bad Habits

I am a big fan of thinking tools: worksheets, forms, exercises and the like that are designed with utmost care can create life-changing transformations for us.

I have been experimenting with various ways to break bad habits and this is the simplest yet most powerful thinking tool I have every worked with:

Try this:

When [This Happens – The Trigger] 

Instead of [Old Bad Habit] 

I will [New Habit]

This is important to me and I COMMIT to doing this because:

Reason 1

Reason 2

Reason 3

For example, this works for almost anything:

When [I get an irritating email] 

Instead of [losing my cool and firing off a nasty response instantly] 

I will [meditate for a minute and then respond with kindness]

This is important to me and I commit to doing this because:

I can crush people’s dreams and aspirations when I am rude

I create a fight or flight response which is bad for my health

Only when I can coach myself do I earn the right to coach others

What is one bad habit you want to break?

#2: Who Wins?

Let's say you are “pitching” for a project or a new client and you are competing with someone else.

Play this hypothetical game with me. Lets assume you and your only competitor are tied on almost everything: perceived skills, relationship, rapport, value, price, offering… who wins?

I would wager that the person who has more confidence and more swagger, wins.

I hate to break it to you. The only way you get raw confidence and humble swagger is if you practice. I know this is easier said than done. And you would be shocked how much 10 minutes a day can do for your confidence and swagger. This could be a rehearsal, role play, training, coaching, skill-building, visualization… whatever it takes!

There is nothing more “secure” for a client to hire than confidence and swagger.

#3: The Alarm Strategist

I used to be an alarm strategist. I knew that my iPhone alarm snoozed for 9 minutes. If I daisy-chained 2 snoozes, and set three different alarms with different ring tones, I would know exactly when I would have to wake up. I was really proud of myself of my alarm system. I had outwitted my own alarm system to get what I wanted right? Wrong.

Snoozing is just straight-up lying to yourself.

You are telling your hopes, dreams, goals, and ambitions that they are not as important as 9 more minutes of one-eye-open-hope-I-don’t-miss-my-alarm sleep. You are telling yourself that the decisions you make for yourself and for your life are not decisions but merely suggestions… and that you can choose to abide by them based on how you feel at any given time.

Just make a commitment to that you wont snooze for one day and see how you feel. Your alarm is the #1 domino for your day. Knock it down with style. Knock it down with decisiveness. Knock it down with your commitment. Just knock it down.

PS: If you need some accountability on waking up without a snooze, try the 5am Club. Hundreds of high-achievers have used it to kick the snooze habit to the curb.

#4: I Deserve It

I am going to challenge you today. What I have to say may irritate you, or worse, even insult you. But, I am totally open to you firing back and having a discussion with me on this topic… so here goes:

I am a big fan of personal development. I think mentors, coaches, and advisors can create exponential growth for us by unlocking our perspective and potential.

However, we live in the world of self-proclaimed experts who are out there delivering coaching and advice. As I said at the outset, I may get some flak for this but its important to recognize what we say to motivate people and what we coach people to say to their clients.

For example… and this is a true story:

1. A real estate coach says to a real estate agent client: You deserve this. You have worked your tail off. Don’t ever question the value you bring to your clients. Stand up for yourself. You deserve this.

2. The Real Estate Agent then internalizes it and says to her (homeowner) client: I work hard for my clients. I deserve my fee.

Let me be very clear. #1 is okay if done thoughtfully and strategically. #2 is just ridiculous. If anyone told me that they deserved something (including, if my children said it to me) I would tell them to pound sand. Welcome to the market economy. Whoever you are “pitching” (the buyer) determines what you deserve. Then and only then is there deep respect for the value-exchanged relationship. Otherwise it will breed anger and animosity.

Recounting what you desire and deserve can be used for internal motivation, reaffirming self-worth, creating a positive image for yourself with self-talk, lifting yourself up with the power of language or priming your belief system so that you can become a better version of yourself every single day. The direct result of that is you showing up and delivering insane value so that the rest of the world can see it too without you having to say it. 

Be very careful of the BS someone feeds you (other than your Mom) when they say... "Sharran you work so hard, you deserve this..."

Instead of saying, “I deserve it” consider replacing it with “How can I add more value?”

#5: Rewrite and Rewire

After a recent keynote presentation, a young man approached me and wanted some advice. He was calm, composed, and confident. He stated to me that he had set some ambitious yet realistic goals for the future and wanted my one overarching piece of advice on making those goals a reality.

Now, I am the first one to tell you that “give me your top strategy” or “tell me one thing that could take me from x to y” type question is kinda bogus. If there really was the “one” thing we would all do it (probably not) and but we all know it takes a collection of ideas and commitments working in sync with each other as opposed to a silver bullet.

But in the moment, I shared this answer with the young man. I outlined a practice that I do everyday which is re-writing with pen and paper, my top goals (in present tense) from memory. I shared with him that when you can write and re-write your goals from memory, it rewires your nervous system and creates a unique singularity of focus and a powerful sense of clarity on what your subconscious should be focusing on and going after.

Last week he reconnected with me and shared that he has already accomplished 1 out of his 7 goals for the year, just 30 days in. Pretty amazing when people ask for advice, take action, and respectfully close the feedback loop by sharing the results…. pretty darn amazing.

Which one of these was your favorite?

All the best,

Sharran

PS: Jump on my VIP list, I write a private email for top entrepreneurs every day called the Daily Mojo. I think you would enjoy it :) ?? sharran.com/dailymojo