SigmaU Blog

There is no victory unless a battle is fought and while we may appreciate and long for easier days, the hard days form us. The hardest of times introduce us to the grit and resilience we’re made of. Without the adversity, we might otherwise never know our next level of strength.

I’ll admit that during the battle, it’s brutal. It’s exhausting and it can be easy to become cynical. I’ve found that this is something I have to be hyper aware of so I don’t slip into a negative space. I’m working on being skeptical instead of cynical.

See, there are several reasons why I could be cynical right now. I’ve had friends let me down, people disappear during tough times, people turn the other way when they’ve seen injustice in my life and people placating me with empty words like… “if there’s anything I can do” and then not do anything to help.

I’ve seen the worst in humanity recently and in my personal life I...

Accountability starts with you! That can be harsh to hear, but it’s true, and a lesson that I’ve learned over the past couple of years.

No one is coming to hold your hand, or mine, to make sure we get stuff done.  The person who cares the most is standing in the mirror.

We may have friends that support us, accountability partners we check in with and coaches who champion us along; at the end of the day, its up to us to get the work done.

I’ve found that friends and even accountability partners can let us off the hook too easily.  We make a big claim about our fitness, and we falter. Often, we’re met with niceties such as “don’t be so hard on yourself”, “you needed a day off”. While this feels good in the moment it’s not what we need and it won’t challenge or change us.

We make the change every time we decide to make a promise, set a goal, and then do it no matter what. Coincidently, every time we keep that...

Have you ever noticed, you feel most alive and fulfilled when you’re under pressure; working towards something outside of your comfort zone? Perhaps, it’s a Big Hairy Audacious Goal that’s stretching you way further than you thought was possible.

Maybe, it’s a lifelong dream to live somewhere else, start a side hustle, move careers, or take the plunge and invest fully in creating the healthiest body you’ve ever had.

Once you have you goal defined, you can move full STEAM ahead!

S – Spark

When your heart is on fire, you’re lit up and excited about your big goal, you have a spark. A burst of energy that will sustain you!  When your goal gets you excited, you have crystal clear focus and become unstoppable! Even though you’re navigating unchartered terrain, you know you’re on the right path and the energy follows!

T- Time

We create time for what matters most! I once had a mentor tell me time wasn’t my issue; prioritizing...

The good book says that “Iron Sharpens Iron”.  In this case, the message is touching on the importance of selecting associations and friendships wisely.  Hang around people who are sharpening their proverbial axe and they will naturally influence you to do the same.

Think of your iron as your mind and your habits. We have associations that sharpen our iron but we also have control over keeping ourselves sharp with self-discipline.

Some of the ways, in which, we keep sharp are…

• Reading inspirational books
• Listening to motivational podcasts
• Eating clean food and keeping hydrated
• Working out on a regular basis and getting great sleep
• Working on courses or projects that expand our mind and help us grow or skill up
• Associating with high achievers

Some of the ways we dull our mind or self discipline are…

• Excessive eating or drinking
• Consuming garbage food, scrolling social media or consuming the news
• Skipping workouts
• Working overtime and...

Things aren’t always as they appear. We know that our minds can play tricks on us. Just think about some of the shapes you’ve seen in the dark! Things that appear to be wild creatures turn out to be shrubs or bushes.  Things that seemed scary turn out to be nothing at all, but if we’re not careful, they can derail our success!

Recently, I vacationed in Costa Rica.  While I was there, I was determined to stick to my fitness routine.  The very first day, things started great. I did my run and then went over to the bench and started picking up my weights.  I was shocked to discover I couldn’t pick up a 20lb weight, something I had done merely 24 hours prior.

I was frustrated, bummed, and lost my motivation. Could it be because I’m closer to the equator? The magnetic pull?  The 32-degree weather? What the heck was going on?  I went down in weights and used a much lower dumbbell; 8lbs in fact. I couldn’t believe it. ...

The eternal optimist in me tends to avoid the negative and at times I must admit that I’d rather bury my head in the sand than face reality.

During COVID I started doing a lot of journaling. It brought clarity and increased focus and purpose for me. I’ve spoken about that in a recent blog (https://www.growwithsigmau.com/blog/Journaling).  One of the questions in my High-Performance Journal triggered me when I first saw it. 

The question is “A situation that might stress me out or trip me up today could be…” and the next question “And the way my best self would deal with that is…”.

I’ll admit, I didn’t want to answer the question at first. The question itself literally tripped me up! I resisted it because my rationale was to look for the good. If we look for the bad, we tend to find it.  While that may be true, when I started answering this question it placed me in a much better position to deal with...

Purpose is a topic that comes up a lot when I’m coaching with clients.  Often people will start coaching because a lack of purpose has stirred something inside them and they are seeking more.

During the pandemic most of us went through significant changes professionally and personally.  Pandemic aside, we’re often met with change that can leave us feeling purposeless.  Perhaps the kids have moved out and moved on and there’s a void.  Perhaps you were once entrenched in the day-to-day operations of your business, but you’ve hired a president and feel like your purpose has been diminished.  We all need to feel a sense of purpose to lead a fulfilled and charged life!

The highest achievers in the world have clarity and high levels of purpose. So how do these high performers have purpose while others don’t? 

They intentionally seek and develop purpose. Here’s how…

1. They evaluate how they’re living!

...

I had never even heard the term false obligations until I started studying high performance habits and Brendon Burchard’s work.  In fact, the thought never dawned on me that I had been wrapped up in false obligations and the stress that accompanied it!

Let me back up, what is a false obligation? Well, it’s an “obligation” that we’ve created in our minds that requires our immediate time and attention. It’s something we feel guilty about not doing or we sense a loss of freedom of choice in the matter.

Some examples of false obligations include…

• Picking up the phone when it’s ringing
• Saying “Yes” to that coffee or dinner when you really need time alone to recharge
• Responding to a text immediately without sleeping on a response
• Behaving a certain way because of family expectations
• Rushing to visit three households on Christmas day so no one feels left out
• To share private information with people because they are good...

Influence is something that we’re constantly participating in. We’re either influencing others or we’re being influenced by others. Recently, my colleague Lindsay shared some insights from one of her favourite books “Captivate” by Vanessa Van Edwards.

She shared that the reality is that we’re influenced all the time by other people’s energy.  We also influence others in the room by our energy.  What kind of energy do you want to be remembered for?

We know people who make us feel alive, excited, and refreshed. We also dread visits with those who make us feel edgy, irritable, and somehow like we’ve just run a marathon!  Energy influences relationships but there are some other factors when you consider positive influence.

In High Performance Coaching ™ we look at three key areas of influence and they are based on how positive influencers impact us.

They teach us how to think

There’s a very important distinction...

The Power of the Mind

I’ve recently been studying the teachings of Andrew Carnegie and Earl Nightingale, the god fathers of personal development.

One message has resonated loud and clear and that is the power of our minds.  Our minds are all consuming so what we feed it and what we allow it to say to us is of utmost importance.  Nightingale often references that we “literally become what we think about.” Both thought leaders share the importance of directing our mind in a way that serves us since our minds guide our lives.

Look for the Good

Yes, there is so much negativity, turmoil and evil in the world however there is also an abundance of good! Just look at the spring weather, see the changes and the wonder that is taking place this month. Consider your health, you woke up today when so many didn’t. We can have our minds focused on surveying the horizon for all the good or we can look for the bad.  Both with change the lens through which we...