Operating At a Higher Gear
Neha Singh
SaaS Sales and Customer Success Strategist | Building Bridge to Leadership | Podcast Host
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This week’s article is a contribution by Christian Hansen , an Influence Coach and Keynote Speaker. He is the author of “The Influence Mindset: The Art & Science of Getting People to Choose You” . The article was originally published in Christian’s Newsletter, The Influence Mindset
This morning when I got on my bike for an early morning ride, little did I know I was about to learn a critical lesson about success.
Starting out on my familiar bike path, I eased into my normal routine and pace. Things were going well until….FLASH… a blue blur streaked past me on my left. Surprised, I wobbled a bit as I struggled for control.
Some maniac in a blue onesie was riding as if his butt was on fire, and cycled past me at the speed of sound. I steadied myself, but as he got further away I noticed it seemed he was barely pedaling. He was crouched over his bike in optimal prone position, his form was seamless, and he maintained a slow methodical clip with each pump of his legs.
This guy was a pro cyclist.
Looking down at my feet, I was pedaling twice as hard. But how come I was going half as fast? The reason: He was operating at a higher gear.
Not wanting to be left in his dust, could I keep up with him? I cranked the shifter, and felt the change of resistance in the pedals. I matched the increased burden with increased effort in my legs and after a minute or two, I looked up from my focus to search for the Man in Blue. There he was! I was keeping up! Better yet, I was slowly catching up!
As I continued to push, all of my thoughts changed. I became aware of how parts of my movement dragged more wind. And so I leaned in closer over my handle bars to be more streamlined.
I also became aware of some jerkiness in my pedaling that made the bike slightly wobble. So I focused on my leg work, and made it more smooth and consistent.
I even realized I was wandering in and out of my lane. So I found the yellow line in the middle of the pathand focused on riding as straight as possible.
As I changed my focus on keeping pace with him, I found my performance completely changed. Even though my legs were beginning to strain under the increased load, I found ways to emulate his form and make my riding more efficient. As a result, I got more speed.
After several minutes of giving a noble effort, my legs finally waived a white flag in defeat. The Man in Blue’s consistent training with the higher gears eventually outpaced my motivation, and he stretched away off into the distance. I slowed down and recovered a bit, but as I did so, a notification came through on my exercise app.
“Great job! You just went 32% faster than you did last week! Keep it up!”
32%? I was astounded.
I didn’t change.
My bike didn’t change.
And the path didn’t change.
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What changed was my focus. More specifically, I was changed by WHO I focused on.
What does this have to do with influence and success?
To put it simply: you become who you spend your time with. I don’t know the Man in Blue’s name, but his ability to operate at a higher gear pushed me to be better. Who does that for you in your life?
The famous business coach and speaker Jim Rohn wisely stated, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” And I have to agree.
In High School, when I got a smarter and better group of friends, my grades improved. At the gym, when I am surrounded by people who are working hard, I get healthier. And even in my business, when I regularly make time to connect and listen to people who are striving to be better, my daily habits change.
You become who you spend your time with.
Who are you currently reading about? What podcasts do you listen to? What social media accounts do you follow and engage with? What books are you studying? What TV shows or movies do you watch? Who do you frequently talk to or go to lunch with? All of these influences shape your thinking and narrative, and in turn, those shape your behaviors. And it’s your repeated behaviors that create your results.
So if you are wanting to be better, and to improve your life, a good place to start would be to consider who you are spending time with. Who are you paying attention to? And just think about that phrase for a moment… you are PAYING your attention. You are giving it out.
Do the people and things you “pay” your attention to give back a better version of yourself?
The Man in Blue’s ability to operate at a higher gear pushed me to be better. He unknowingly motivated me to try harder, be more focused, and it drastically improved my results. Hopefully this message does the same for you.
You become who you spend your time with, and I’m honored you choose to spend your time with me.
Let’s operate at a higher gear this week.
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