Hi, this is Mike Lipkin. It’s summer time – and the heat is on. It’s the perfect time to take the three actions that will empower you to finish 2018 on a high.Relax. Reflect. Get ready.
There is something about heat and humidity that helps you slow down. Summer is the sound of lawnmowers; the smell of cut grass; the sight of scantily clad people; the feel of a cold beer; the taste of ice cream. It’s easy to choose happiness when you’re surrounded by so many wonderful things.
Summer is a great time to get into the habit of consciously relaxing. That means entering a state of intentional joy, without tension or anxiety. You know the feeling – like when you’re on vacation with your favourite people in a gorgeous setting. For me, it’s the Greek Islands with my wife and friends. I forget about everything except the miracle of being there. Nothing else matters. Problems are put on hold. The moment is the only thing that counts. Then the secret is to take that mindset back home with me.
As I share in my book, Dancing With Disruption: the key to extraordinary success is to have so much fun that you become the source of other’s joy. The best ideas come from a relaxed mind. Leaders are dealers in wellbeing. They celebrate the people around them. They choose their attitude even when they cannot choose their circumstances. How about you? When the going gets tough, do you get terrific? Now is a good time to enrich your perspective. See your world through fresh eyes. Relish your challenges because they’re making you faster, stronger, smarter. Remember: pressure is a privilege. Others are counting on you to be magnificent. That’s how champions are made. The next time you’re tempted to lose it, smile at your crisis. Breathe deep. Get your flip flops on. Go with the flow. Turn your face to the sun but wear sunscreen. Get some Vitamin Sea, otherwise known as beach therapy. Know it will all work itself out in the end. Worry about it in September. It will be here soon enough.
In the meantime, it’s half-time. How has the first half of 2018 been for you? What were your highlights? What were your lowlights? What have you learnt that will enable you to crush it in the second half? My first half has been spectacular. My projects have been eclectic and lucrative. I’m thrilled with the progress I’ve made and the people I’ve picked up along the way. The highlights have been my work with great companies like Purolator, DHL, Bausch and Lomb, Otsuka, Schneider Electric, TD Bank, Educators Financial Group, Merck Pharmaceutical and Zimmer Biomet. The lowlights were all self-inflicted. Those were the moments when I forgot who I am and what my mission is: to excite others into action. Those were the days it took all I had just to keep up with the losers. But I dragged my tail along and I finished the course. So even my lowlights were valuable. They triggered my remarkable recoveries so I can become even better at exciting others into action. No-one goes through this world unscathed. And no-one is immune from self doubt, anger or frustration. If you find yourself going through it, keep going. You’ll come out the other side.
I’ve learnt three things about winning this year:
1. Be exceptional in the extreme. That means excelling in the clutch moments. The greater the occasion, the more you must rise to it. You must enhance your performance in direct proportion to the size of the moment. You need BGT – Big Game Temperament. The higher the stakes, the more relaxed you need to be. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you’ve done everything you can to avoid them.
2. See more because you’re looking further. Winners are always looking around them. They’re locating the dots, connecting the dots and projecting the dots forward. Like a great football or soccer player, they’re positioning themselves to receive the ball. They position themselves for success. They take a longer view but they also act with urgency. The two are not mutually exclusive. They do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. So I create these videos to develop my vision and to help you develop yours. I only know what I think when I see what I say and when others tell me what they’ve heard. I’m curious to hear from you. Tell me what you think at mike.lipkin@environics.ca
3. Connect others to success.Winners are social creatures. They’re highly collaborative. They catalyse the success of the people around them. They’re generous and opportunistic in equal measure. They give more to get more because they trust others to reciprocate. They not good Samaritans. They expect a high return on their investment. They are great operators. They are the MVP’s on other’s teams. My ultimate metric is your desire to watch my next video and hear my next presentation. Hey, call me directly and let’s talk about how I can inspire your team to make 2018 their BYE – Best Year Ever. 416 917 6007.
Be exceptional in the extreme. See more because you’re looking further. Connect others to success. I’m endeavouring to apply all three lessons learnt in this video. Can you tell?
Get ready. The next tsunami is on its way to meet you. Disruption begins long before you feel its consequences. If you’re always preparing, you may be surprised but you’ll never be blindsided. As Jim Collins writes in his fantastic book, Great by Choice: if you decide to travel to the South Pole, you don’t wait until you’re in an unexpected storm to discover that you need more strength and endurance. You don’t wait until you’re on the Antarctic journey to become a superb skier and dog handler. You prepare with intensity, all the time, so that when conditions turn against you, you can draw from a deep reservoir of strength. And equally, you prepare so that when conditions turn in your favor, you can strike hard.
Summer is a great time to get ready, get ready, get ready. So I’m on my way to a coaching program in Minneapolis. Then I’m off to the Greek Islands. Then I’m going to read 3 books – Blue Ocean Shift by Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, Skin in the Game by Nicholas Taleb and The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maughn. I’m also researching my next book on the art of appropriate which I’m co-authoring with David Jamieson, a brilliant psychologist and social scientist. Finally, at the end of August, I’m travelling to the magical Fogo Island, just off the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. In between, I’m going to meet as many people as I can, eat all the sushi I can, drink as much single malt scotch as I can and become as fit as I can. It’s a great time to prepare to be great. Love the GRIND – that means “Get Ready – It’s a New Day.”
That’s it for now. Relax. Reflect. Get ready. Until the next time, remember the tan will fade but the learning will last forever. Yes!
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I am going to Relax and Recharge in 3 days, my favourite getaway destination in Florida, and this video comes at a perfect time. I wish my Directors had the same balance of thought as you do, they just keep putting together Campaigns…burnout on the way.
I agree with your article and although retired now would have applied the 3 rules more often when in my career . However I feel it as relevant now as before and never stop planning to enjoy the days ahead !