Today I had a conversation with the team members of one of my businesses. This was the leadership team for one of my marketing agencies. We meet each and every week, and one of the things that I told them, and I was upset. I was laying into them because I thought we were playing small. I thought us as a whole entire team weren’t living up to our potential, and I was actually really upset.
And what I told them was I’m not upset at you. I’m not upset at your lack of intelligence. No, it’s actually the opposite. You guys on my team are extremely intelligent. They’re the best of the best at what they do. One of the persons I was talking to is one of the best SEOs in the world. The other person is one of the best at operations. But what I was trying to explain to them is their level is up here, yet they’re playing down here. And I was, too.
The truth is, I was playing at a lower level and not holding my own standards up as high within that particular business at the moment. Now, what I started to think about is where are my five to thrive? Am I also playing small? And when I looked at it, I found several little areas where I wasn’t playing up to my potential, and that’s what angered me. You see, even in sports, I never got really upset if I lost to someone who was better than me. I always got upset when I lost to someone who was worse, and I know in business, especially in this particular business, we’re so much better than most of our competition. I don’t say that to be braggadocious at all. It’s just the worst part is we’re not living up to those expectations internally.
Now in the past, we absolutely were. But over the last couple weeks, we haven’t been, and that’s where I got upset, because I recognized that. We had the chance to step up and we didn’t take it at that time. Now, of course, it’s only been a short, short time when that happened. But at any lull, it’s easy. It’s just like that one hamburger or two hamburgers when you’re on a diet, in a week, and then it becomes three, then four. And that becomes your new norm, thus lowering your standards. And I won’t put up with that. I won’t put up with that within myself and I certainly won’t put up with that in my team.
I’m going to ask you today, like us, where are you in your five to thrive? Lowering your standards or not stepping up to where you should be. Now, once you’ve identified that … so get your five to thrive, write them out. Mind, body, soul, relationships, and business, and where are you not stepping up? Now is there an area in your mind? Are you at your full capacity? Are you playing as high as you can? If not, where are you lagging?
What about your body? Where are you not stepping up? Are you cheating on your diet? Are you not working out hard when you go to the gym? What it is you’re doing or not doing up to that level? What about your soul? Are you just skipping your meditations or your daily Bible readings or whatever it is for you. We’re all different. Where is it that you’re lagging? Where is it that you’re stopping? Is it not going out in nature as much as you should?
Where are your relationships? Are you busting your butt at work and then you get home and you see your spouse or your kids, and you’re just tired. You’re having a cocktail and you’re ah, I’m just going to watch TV and you check out. Or with friends. Are you just not stepping up to the plate and bringing energy to relationships or sharing, being vulnerable to allow that space for people around you to also share and be vulnerable. Where is it in your business? What I found with my agency team over here, where they were actually not stepping up to the plate. They weren’t stepping up to their potential. Yeah, they were doing really well. Really well, actually. But not great. Not to the level that I know that they can play at. And that’s where me as a leader, it’s up to me to keep them accountable.
And it’s up to you. You’re the leader in your life. Where are you in each of those five to thrive and where do you need to keep yourself accountable? And now that you’ve found those, I want you to take action right now. Right now in this moment. Do one thing to step up the bar. Raise it up for yourself and raise your standards. You can do so much more than you think you’re capable of. Yet, if you’re not reaching to the level you are capable of, then you’re playing even smaller. And I won’t let that happen to me, and I certainly won’t let that happen to you.
That’s it for me today. As always, go to authorofyourownstory.com where you can get more tips, tricks, and techniques delivered right to your inbox. Here we are on episode 201, and I’m super excited about the future, so I want you to be in the know. Also, please go out and make the world a better place by just inspiring other people, by being the author of your own story.
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