Episode 137, It took two seconds to Win!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 35 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 137, It took two seconds to Win!  

 

In the past several weeks, I have been sharing insights from James Clear's book Atomic Habits to help us exceed our goals this year.

 

As a recap, we set the foundation. It centered around step one, which is getting clear on your Identity, whom you want to become, and the steps to supporting that Identity you wish to create for yourself.

 

Then we focused on building systems and processes to help you achieve your goals. You want to focus on building a system and developing a process rather than achieving a goal or an outcome.

 

We then looked at what James Clear says One effective way to insert a new habit into your life is with an "implementation intention." An implementation intention is a plan you make beforehand about when and where to act. That is, how you intend to implement your habit. It's all about finding the right time and place for your habit.

 

The simple way to apply his strategy to your habits is to fill out this sentence using Three Words - you know I love this.

 

I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].

 

One of my favorite James Clear quotes is; You don't rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.

 

Before we dive into this week's topic, I am still smiling from the weekend. It was an exciting weekend with Who Dey Nation, The Cincinnati Bengals, upsetting the Tennessee Titans. Who Dey!

 

If you allow me to relive that moment, the score tied with The Titans heading down to the field to win the game possibly. The Titans quarterback throws the ball down the field, our player tips it up the air, and we recover the ball.

 

Here comes Cool Joe Burrow with twenty seconds left in the game to get us in a position to win the game. He answers with a nice pass down the field, and with seconds left on the clock, Rookie Even McPherson comes out and kicks a 52-yard field goal as time expired, helping the Cincinnati Bengals win their first postseason road game win in franchise history.

 

Cincinnati upset the top-seeded Tennessee Titans in Nashville, 19-16. McPherson provided 13 points by kicking four field goals in one game.

 

The fifth-round draft pick had already hit a 54-yarder before heading out for the game's final play. His teammate Joe Burrow said "Money Mac" was confident before stepping on the field.

"That guy's unbelievable," Burrow said after the game. "As he was going out to kick, he gave a little warm-up swing, and he said, 'Ah looks like we're going to the AFC Championship.'"

 

Coach Zac Taylor gave McPherson the game ball, noting that no moment is too big for the former Florida kicker.

 

I am sharing this story because what Evan does week in and week out is all about building winning habits!  

 

It starts with your mindset. Your brain builds habits. A habit is a behavior that's repeated enough times that it becomes automatic! Whenever you encounter a new situation in life, your brain has to decide. You carefully analyze the situation and make a conscious decision about acting. Evan McPherson has made it an automatic habit to kick winning field goals!

 

As we wrap our discussion on James Clear's book Atomic Habits, the Four Laws of Behavior Change are the framework that applies to human behavior. These four laws can be implemented no matter what challenges you are facing. These changes apply to nearly every field of work, sports, politics, comedy, sales, and management.

 

James Clear shares that whenever you want to change your behavior, you ask yourself:

1. How can I make it obvious?
2. How can I make it attractive?
3. How can I make it easy?
4. How can I make it satisfying?

 

Make it obvious. We discussed this in last week's episode. "I will (behavior) at (time) in (location)" with intentions; you must make it obvious.

 

Make it attractive. You reward yourself for doing something. This is the motivational force behind every habit you build. We need some level of motivation or desire-without it; we have very little reason to act.   

 

Make it easy. Human behavior follows the Law of Least Effort. As a result, we naturally go towards the option that requests the least effort. We tend to look for the easy way out. This is where we apply the two-minute rule, start with a habit that you can start doing in two minutes. It makes it easier for you to create a routine. Try not to begin with difficult habits; start with easy habits, and gradually increase the difficulty; it is easier to build your success.  

 

Make it satisfying. Rewards are the end goal of every habit. These rewards teach us which actions are worth remembering in the future. We are more likely to repeat doing something when the experience is satisfying. The practical way is to track your habits, and progress equals pleasure! Take the time to celebrate your wins; remember, small changes lead to significant results.

 

We may not be Evan McPherson, a field goal kicker for the Cincinnati Bengals, but we can apply these easy habits to Kick start our way to winning!

 

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To learn more about Atomic Habits: http://jamesclear.com

 

Learn more about Simplifying Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .