Over the years as a professional tennis player as I came up through the ranks I kept learning how to simplify and get rid of wasted movements. The clearer I got through practice the better player I became. Now years later as a business and performance coach I use this same philosophy in helping businesses grow more into their full potential.
As an example, a company that I am working with was struggling raising capital to take the company to the next level. In reality they had a great product and company, but wasn’t clear on how to move into the growth that was possible for them.
In looking at their company they had too many products for a young growing company and they were trying to serve too many issues and too large of a customer base. Many times companies might have something really good, but they actually have too many opportunities and instead of capitalizing fully they slide into overwhelm and being frustrated because they had so many great opportunities, but couldn’t be everywhere at the same time.
were trying to serve too many issues and too large of customer base
So we started cutting down on all the wasted movements. Not to say they couldn’t grow into each opportunity down the road, but we needed now was to focus on the few products that stood out and the exact market they served best.
With this clarity their language became different much easier for an investor to understand and see the benefits of the strength of the company rather than get lost in too many directions and then loose interest.
People will follow clarity. So keep it simple and precise. This is is what Extreme Focus is all about. Back to when I was a professional athlete I let too many thoughts get in the way of my success. So I had to get more focused on what truly was most important for me to win.
I developed the 3 intention rule.
When pressure hits, your mind it is going to go flying all over the place. By keeping it simple and only focusing on just 3 intentions I achieved my goals so much easier. I then applied that to my physical stroke production and started to hit the ball with more authority and consistency. Eight years after retiring I was invited to play in a pro tournament. It was an all-expense paid trip to Canada for my wife and I, so how could I say no? What was interesting was my doubles partner and I won the tournament beating a team that went on to be the #1 team in the world!! Almost a decade after retiring? This is something I never even came close to when I was playing on the tour. I attribute this success to truly learning how to cut down on wasted movements and wasted thoughts.
In my own company, Extreme Focus, I keep learning and using this same philosophy.
As an example, one area I am very passionate about is the work we have been able to do with the military. But like the advice I gave to my client, we were attempting to do all types of different programs for the military. From working with Navy Seals, Army Rangers, hospital staff, chaplains groups, and going to bases and doing basic training and workshops. We have developed great relationships and gained experience and credibility, but I knew we had to be more precise and cut out on some of our wasted movements and the areas we focused on in order to be truly successful.
This past summer I went back to the Pentagon and brought to them a precise program aimed directly at our transitioning soldiers who are coming back into civilian life. Why? Because this is very challenging time for those that served us so well. We are now working closely with “Soldier for Life” who does an outstanding job in helping 250,000 men and women who make this transition every year, and we are bringing a “high performance” tool that is easy to implement and support them in this work called “Beast Triggers.”
I have become very clear through my own personal experience to eliminate a lot of wasted movement and time and hit a very exact need. It is not to say we won’t come back to help our active soldiers, but our clear focus at this time is helping these men and women through their transition and collaborating with a great team already in place.
Clarity is strength, fogginess is weakness.
People will follow leaders (and athletes) who are clear in their intentions to hit their goals more often.
Dave Austin
Extreme Focus Founder
co-author of the #1 International Bestseller “Be A Beast: Unleash Your Animal Instincts for Performance Driven Results”
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