Your number one competitor

Who is your number one competitor?

You.

You are your number one competitor. No body else is your competitor, period.

If you can win the competitions, such as put it off for another day self, lying on bed for a little bit longer self, I can do this tomorrow, I can start it another day… you will be the winner.

We very often compare ourself with others, and admire other’s achievements. Many times we compare our shortcomings with somebody’s strength. There is no comparison for this. And you, like everyone else, have your strength, which is unique to you.

As long as you grow a little bit today, learn something today, have brought some insights to your life and your community, you are a better self today than yesterday’s self.

Other’s backyard is not greener. Your backyard has diamonds yet to be discovered. Live your life to your best, not live a life according to other’s standards.

As long as you are doing better things by being a better person, you are competitive.

The power of focus

We know we need focus to be able to achieve something.

Focus is actually a power.

If we can use the power of focus deliberately, we can discover unimaginable energy, drive and determination we born with. We can be empowered with clarity in life.

Something stupendous happens when you focus. Your vision narrows, and you see only the one thing that matters. Sounds and distractions fade away, and time slows way down. There is just you and the object of your focus. There is clarity in your purpose. You are all in.

— CHARLENE LI —

Knowing the power of focus, you can exercise and increase your capacity of focus. The driver of focus is have a plan on what to focus on. What will be the alternatives if the initial plan does not work. Test your plan and find the one you can focus on that gives you the all in energy.

Value is the focus for your life and business

We are born with values.

Values are the reasons why we exist, why we are whom we are, why we live our life, why we do what we do daily.

You are successful when you demonstrate a high value to the society, to your community, to others.

When you focus on express your values, you live a rich life, a colorful life, a magnetic life. You’ll be more connected, attractive and impactful to others.

The same principle applies to a business operation.

A business exists, because it has products and service people need. And value is the reason for those products and services to exist in the marketplace. Focusing on value can help your business sustainable. Every company is in business to fulfill a need, to provide a value – plain and simple.

Value is the focus of your life and your business.

Make a difference

Many of us want to make our own marks, put our labels, express our values to make a difference.

Actually, the thought to make a difference in the world already inspires many of us.

What does it exactly mean to you when you want to make a difference? What kinds of difference do you want to make?

You can not make a difference unless you recognize how different you are.

Take a moment to identify how different you are. What energizes you. What makes you feel free. What makes you felt growing and fulfilled and happy. What footprint you’d like to leave to the world.

Then you may be on your way to make a difference.

Real-time response, simultaneity = business

Nowadays, technology has developed so much. It interrupts our daily activities.

If we surf on a site checking for a movie or TV show or a particular content and can’t find the one we’d like to watch, we’d rather watch a lesser show in real time than wait two days for something better, or to pay for that.

Simultaneity trumps quality.

Real-time books, ditto.

Timely serve your customers is the key to earn your business.

Technology has changed the platform on how to do business, how to communicate with each other. Timely response is very crucial for your business.

Magic

Things happen in our life for reasons. Sometimes we are not aware what is the reason why it changes, occurs. We say it is a magic.

Actually, magic is no more than a change in consciousness.

It is the awaking awareness that create the magic change in your thinking, in your reasoning of doing things, in your behaviors. All of this process leads to your leap in exploring and stretching your possibilities and potentials.

To change your habits, to form a new habit, to be creative in your life, you get to raise your consciousness.

Your magic in life lies in your consciousness.

May you be healthy

I am in a hospital visiting relatives.

It’s not a good feeling when I see young, middle age, or seniors are suffering from their illness.

No matter what titles or roles you have: CEO, president, teacher, banker, athlete, handsome actor, beautiful actress, top salesman, prize winner… you may be sick. You may become vulnerable. You may loose your indignity in a hospital, no matter how strong you used to be. This is life.

You get to surrender to life, accept life.

Being in hospital it reminds me that we are all the same and want the same thing – be healthy and happy and being loved. Vanity and ego have no space in front of life and death choice. Then, why don’t we limit the role of vanity fairs and ego in our life? Why don’t we put more energy to the people we love, to the things we want to create, to the life we want to live fully?

Being in hospital it reminds me to appreciate our good health, appreciate we have our life, appreciate that we have good healthcare system to help us back to be healthy again.

This also reminds me that we get to call a stop from our busy schedule from time to time. No matter what happens, without life – health, you will not be able to accomplish much. During a stop, readjust your goal in life., reflect what you have been through.

I was asked a question long time ago: how do you rank career, health, fiancé? I have slight different order for the three during different stages of my life. However, be healthy never leaves from my top priorities. Health is the foundation.

May you be healthy.

Who is your competition?

If you are working in a corporate, who are you competition? Are other companies making similar products your competitors?

If you are writing a book, who are you competition? Are other authors writing similar books?

If you are a freelancer, self employed, who are you competition? Are other freelancers in the similar fields?

The real competition is yourself, your products.

The competition comes: do you have empathy towards your customers, do you have clear determination to walk forward facing challenges, do you want to fight “I’ll do it later” tendency, do you want to get up in the morning to do the hard work, or do you want to finish the reading and writing you get to do….

No matter what you do, you are valuable when you help other, when you produce something, when you do your physical or emotional labor. When you do, you will be competitive in your own way, unique way that has your label and your flavor.

Competition is a good thing. Competition gives you or your product a category, establishes your presence, gets you the recognition.

Competition is that we are entering into the same race, but we do it together. So we will need to open to each other. We learn from each other, we encourage each other, we are each other’s company on the way for a better future.

If you strive to do better, to be better, you are competitive.

Three things can improve your relationship with your colleagues

We are in a company, in a social community. Our relationship with our colleagues is important for our success, happiness and productivity at work.

There are three things you can do to improve your relationship with your colleagues.

1. Be mindful with your words. Many of us are not aware that some words we say are rude or are perceived as rude by others. This means that we have blind spot in our self-insights. We need learn to listen to ourself – what does it sound like when we replay back to ourself. We need be empathetic to others and think in other’s shoes to increase our mindfulness and improve our communication.

2. Be careful on commenting on other’s appearance. At work, it can be awkward toco me t on other’s appearance, especially when someone is sensitive to their appearance. If you want to have a small talk to warm up with others, pick up something neutral.

3. Give positive comments generously. We tend to save our positive comments and think they know your intention. We need to let others know they do a good job. Positive enforcement is an effective way to boost your relationship with them and also their continuing positive behavior. Give positive comments generously also reduce stress for the working environment. As a leader, the positive comments you give also increase the engagement.

Use the three tips for better communication, therefore you will have a better team and a better environment.

Ups and downs

A friend consultant shares his philosophy with me, “When you are riding on a big waves, go crazy with your full speed. When you are down in a valley, fully absorb yourself to learn, exercise new muscles and prepare coming out of it.”

He was fired twice from his jobs. The first time he was fired, he went to get his Master degree in MBA. The second time he was fired, he went to get his Ph.D in business management and founded his consulting company.

Now he is an influential strategist, having over 100 employees working in his consulting companies.

He knows how to handle ups and downs in his life.

When you are moving on the right direction, everything comes to your way. You are in the Yang wind. Whatever you do you feel you can make a difference.

When you are in the Yin zone, whatever you do you feel you are a failure. You may not have that kinds of upset like being fired. However, you always have big or small bumps on your way.

You can control your pace to prevent or reduce that big failure. You can go away for a retreat so that you can come back strong.

Life is a marathon. You need to recharge, regain your energy, refresh and continue your journey.

The best way to pace yourself is to take a sabbatical… we are luck that we can practically take our sabbatical by planning it daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

We can walk away from our work completely. We can have daily meditation, exercises, yoga, reading and reflection time for ourself. We can have weekly or monthly intermittent fasting, social activities. We have annual event, retreat…

Ups and downs are normal stuff in our life. And you are the master to face and control the ups and downs. Because we are luck that we have the authority and power to command our mind and physical muscles.