Hands up who wants to do all the work themselves?  

Do everything without any help, intervention or resources to make it any easier? 

Well that will be… no one…

Then how come so many people do just that?

Going solo?

Reinhold Messner was the first person to successfully climb Mount Everest solo.

Do you know why?

Because he’s a nutter!

Actually, he’s described as one of the greatest mountaineers of all time so I thought I would find out more about him.

It turns out that although he did climb Everest solo (in 1980) he had a brilliant team of people supporting him to help with the planning, research and setting up for the climb.

Step one is to surround yourself with the right people. Makes sense, right?

Next, did he climb Everest in a tracksuit and trainers?

No, he had the very best equipment money could buy; some of it specifically designed for this kind of hazardous trip.

Finally, had he just taken up mountaineering?

Of course not, he’d been climbing since his childhood. He had read many books and studied climbing so much he was considered an expert.

If you’re going to achieve your brilliant vision I suggest you take a leaf out of Mr Messners book and ask for help.

 

Surround yourself with a brilliant team.

If you want to know how successful you are going to be at achieving your goals take a good look at the five people who you spend most of your time with.

Do they inspire you?

Could they achieve the goals you want to achieve?

I have a dear friend who really wants to quit smoking but she spends most of her spare time with three friends who are smokers.

She isn’t exactly setting herself up for success with that one, is she?

In order to achieve your vision start to spend time with people who inspire you. It’s amazing to think that you massively increase your chances of success just by spending time with different people.

Terry Laybourne is – in my opinion – one of the best chefs in Britain. When I asked him how he got to be so brilliant, he modestly said, ‘Hard work and a bit of luck’.

Pressing him further I found that one of the things he did was to continuously surround himself with other brilliant chefs.

When he worked in a five star hotel in Switzerland he took ‘a break’ by working in a famous fish restaurant in Newcastle.

He wanted to learn from the best. And guess what? He still has that attitude.

Rather than deter other chefs’ (perhaps competitors), he asks them to ‘guest’ in his kitchen at a special night or as part of an annual food festival.

By finding the right people to spend time with you will raise your game.

You’ll be surprised at how much that will help you.

‘I need your help’

Other things to consider that will help you

Get the right kit

What equipment do you need? Go for the best you can afford. If you need a PC get a fast reliable one – like a Mac 😉 . When using the internet, use the best, fastest broadband provider you can afford.

If you need some specialist items to do what you need to do, then invest in them.

If you have to write use a good pen and record your actions in a beautiful journal.

Finally, if you need to get something designed get a designer to do it. It saves time and looks so much better.

 

Knowledge is King

Ultimately get the best knowledge. We have never lived in better times for having abundant knowledge around us. The biggest challenge we have these days is too much information.

So make a commitment to finding the right knowledge that you need and make the most of the learning presented to you. Here’s how to get the best out of some of the key methods of learning:

 

Classroom

Sit as close to the front and centre as you can. Commit to turning up for every session. Get there early. Take lots of notes. Ask questions – especially the daft ones that everyone else was thinking but only you would ask.

Re-read your notes immediately after the class and before the next one.

Do homework on the day you get it.

 

Reading

Mentally rehearse reading before you do it. Read with a highlighter pen and good quality blue or red pen.

Highlight the bits that jump out or need further clarification. Make notes in the margin. Write to the author.

Did you know if you read 100 books on a subject and digested the information, you could become one of the top ten experts in the world in that field?

 

Coaching

Be open, it’s not your job to know all the answers. Ask for advice and don’t be intimidated by a coach who says, ‘how would you do it’ when you ask them a question.

Take lots of notes. Replay what you have learned to your coach to check you understood it.

 

Audio 

A fantastic way to learn, but your mind will wander. Again take notes.

Be prepared to listen to each CD or download several times. Find a picture of the person presenting the programme and visualise them speaking to you.

If you can’t get a picture create in your mind a picture of your best ever trainer and see them presenting the audio.

 

Video, DVD, TV, On-line

Watch at a desk. Schedule how much time is needed. Imagine you are there with the presenter.

Watch in a small group and discuss the outcomes.

Learning, and becoming an expert, is a sure-fire way to help you achieve your goals. The knowledge you gain will propel you at ever high speeds and enable you to achieve your goals more effectively.

When you have the right ‘kit’ you feel more comfortable about starting your journey.  You may have to pick some up on the way but it’s vital to ensure you have the right resources to make your vision a reality.

Brill Bit

Beware learning a lot and then not doing anything with it.

Many ‘experts’ end up with masses of knowledge they just forget to do anything with it.

Use it.

Be Brilliant!

Michael