Keith JonesJuly 28, 2016

I recently made a paradigm shift in my thinking. I’ve begun to apply the strong mindset I’ve used for achieving and maintaining optimal health and fitness to other areas of my life that need work. The mental game I use for my workouts and healthy eating is bullet proof. It stays strong and is impervious to excuses. No matter how tired I am or how busy I might be, I don’t miss workouts. I adhere a healthy nutrition plan whether I’m out to lunch, at a party or on vacation. This level of commitment has produced strong results for me. So it only makes sense to take this show on the  road to other areas of my life that aren’t living up to what I’m capable of and/or what I want for my life.

Over the past eighteen months, I’ve been focused on two things. The first is being loving to others and seeing the good in everyone. And the second is growing our community and helping people reach their goals. To achieve these two important objectives requires me to grind every single day. I tell myself, “No matter what happens today, you will be loving, nonjudgmental and a contribution to others.” This is easier said than done; especially in a society that often participates in gossip and judgment. I use to be right there with everyone else. That changed when I had my own stumble and would have appreciated compassion, empathy and love. Since I appreciate those gifts from others, I cultivate my own every day and share them freely.

My career is a gift. I am pleased with the differences and contributions I’ve made to people over the years. But I am not content. I can do more. I can do better. To do so, I’ve identified four key areas to focus on. Each morning I create a list of at least one thing I will do that moves me closer to my goal. Sometimes the work is fun. Other times, it’s a grind. It’s like exercising. I may not want to do it, but I am always glad I did. The sense of accomplishment I feel each morning after completing the four tasks is the same I experience after a filthy workout. The key to not missing any workouts in the last 20 years is my no excuses, no distractions policy. Nothing gets in the way of my daily exercise and eating healthy. Now, I apply this same mindset to my business objectives. The first three hours of my workday are distraction free. I don’t check email, social media or my phone until I’ve completed my list. This focus allows me to be that much closer to achieving my goals by giving them the priority they deserve.

Here are three things you can do daily to take your good habits on the road for greater success:

1. Identify the areas of your life where your best self shows up and produces results that please you and inspire others.List the daily habits that contribute to your success in those areas. If you’re an outstanding parent, you weren’t that way overnight. You worked at it. You realized kids are going to make mistakes. So over the years, you learned not to see those missteps as “the end of the world”, but rather as learning opportunities on your child’s journey to adulthood. And since kids, like adults, are imperfect beings who make lots of mistakes, you got lots of practice developing good habits like being unconditionally loving and supportive.

2. Identify areas of your life that could benefit from those same strong habits.As a business owner, I didn’t consistently do the things I disliked, like marketing for example. I don’t particularly enjoy exercise, but that attitude never kept me from a workout. So why should it keep me form working on marketing the company?

3. Apply your good habits to the areas of your life that need work.And do them daily.

Don’t settle for being great in only one or two areas. Pursue greatness everywhere in your life. To get there takes an unwavering commitment and rock-solid discipline to perform good habits when you don’t want to. If you can do that, I promise every area of your life will be optimal and you will be an inspiration to others.

Stronger Mindset!

Keith