Success Leaves Clues

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Success Leaves Clues
Often times I am asked, "How I could possibly have time to study with so many exceptional teachers and train in so many areas at once?" One of most bewildering things for most people to accept is that I have achieved eight Black Belt Levels in different martial arts, some under world class martial artists with very high expectations and standards to which they expect their students to adhere. In addition I have an extensive background in the studies of exercise physiology and personal training. My studies include 25 years of investigating and applying various methods of aerobic and cardio conditioning, strength training, plyometric training, nutrition and dietary program designs, kinesiology, sports specific performance training on both the physical and psychological level, Neuro- Linguistic Programming and sports psychology. While I did all of this, I also ran a multi-faceted small business, which included a full time teaching position (having to date taught thousands of students one on one), a seminar schedule, and operating a full time 5200 sq. ft. gym. How can I keep up and keep it all straight?

As I began to become overwhelmed with the shear volume of my activities, I asked myself a very important question. Who else has taken on such an overwhelming work and study load, and how did they succeed? Who can I model to organize and systemize my approach as they did, improving my chances for success? I remember one of my most gifted teachers telling me, "study people who have succeeded at the things you want to do, success leaves clues!"

I have applied this concept of modeling successful people to be successful myself, time and time again in athletic competition, career studies and business, and so can you. You've actually already been doing it, probably just not in a mindful and systematic way.

"If we all did the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
-Thomas Edison

How can you use this?
Here are a few of the ways you can use modeling to optimize your time and improve your success ratio. Research who has succeeded, make a list of these individuals, and begin a journal. If possible, ask if you can use the person as a mentor and ask the individual advice directly. People who have worked to succeed will usually be very generous and give advice very willingly. Read about the most successful people in the field or sport you're working to excel in. Visualize yourself as that person, how would this person stand, if an athlete, how do they move, what mannerisms might they possess, what questions would they ask, how would they think? Who did they have to become to win or succeed at this level? Who must you become? Visualize using as much detail as possible create a vision of you being just as successful as your model. Use as many modalities (senses) as possible when you see this in your mind's eye. See this vision with the feeling and emotion necessary to engage yourself fully into the role of your mentor/model. As you think, therefore you become.Ask anybody who has been wildly successful, I guarantee you they have had one or more mentors, models or idols in their lives that influenced them to succeed as well.

Basketball Legend, Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics studied the moves of one of the best players on his high school basketball team when he first started playing high school ball. He played the images of this player Eural McKelvey over and over in his mind, the way he moved, the way he grabbed the ball, the way he shot. Russell recalls, "When I went into the game, I grabbed an offensive rebound and put it into the basket just the way McKelvey did.It seemed natural, almost as if I were just stepping into a film and following the signs. When the imitation worked and the ball went in, I could barely contain myself...for the first time I had transferred something from my head to my body."

"Somebody should tell us , right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows."
-Michael Landon

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