The Seven Strategies for Passionate Performance © in your life

By Charles Kovess
© 2006 Charles Kovess. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by Remacue with permission

'Passionate Performance’ is the way to get what you want! Over the last 13 years, since I founded Kovess International Pty Ltd as a resource for organisations that want outstanding results, these seven key strategies have shown themselves to be the way for personal success.

So, here are the seven strategies, both powerful and practical, that will generate your Passionate Performance.

1. Write out your goals in the areas of Mind, Body and Spirit

We all have goals. But, despite the many books that describe the huge benefits of writing out your goals, only a few people actually do it!

I have found that the greatest hindrance is the difficulty of choosing from the many wonderful goals that are available to us, and so we never get started. All I can say is, ‘Please start!! ‘

An easy and practical way to start is to write out goals in the three areas of mind, body and spirit. Examples are:

Mind:

• Get a university degree
• Attend a sales course
• Learn speed reading skills

Body:

• Do an Ironman triathlon
• Run a marathon
• Lose 10 kgs in weight

Spirit:

• Learn to meditate
• Build a great relationship with your children
• Learn to love

I recommend that you write out at least five specific goals in each of these three areas.

2. Accept that you create your own unique picture of reality

No-one sees or experiences the world as you do! You are a unique person, with a unique set of experiences. It is those experiences that create your interpretation of life, and lead to your ability to be creative and solve problems in highly unusual ways.

Because many of us were ostracised for being different when we were younger, we have learned to conform and behave like others. If you do, your brilliant contribution to your organisation is unlikely to be contributed.

3. Know yourself ! Self-knowledge is the key to wisdom

Who is a ‘wise’ person? I believe it’s the person who can make ‘good’ decisions, rather than ‘bad’ decisions. However, because each one of us is unique, what is good and bad depends on how we view our own lives.

Therefore, the more you know yourself, the wiser you will become. Your ability to make great decisions will keep increasing.

4. Access your courage to take risks and make mistakes

Each one of us must be willing to continually change, because the world around us is continually changing. However, as Buckminster Fuller in his book Critical Path so aptly put it, humans beings only learn through trial and error. Our changes require us to learn and to err, but the unfortunate fact is that there are punishments for making mistakes.

If you are not willing to face the pain of making mistakes, you simply will not learn quickly enough. In fact, much of the pain is really self-generated, through your unique reality. Therefore, when you understand why it’s necessary to err from time to time, you will be more ready to do so, and you’ll be able to tap into your courage reserves.

5. Be willing to be uniquely you

We willing to be unique, and to be criticised for it! You will eventually be loved and admired for this rare talent.

Understand how the pressure to conform will limit your chances of success. Just one fact should demonstrate this to you: not many people can afford to retire at 65 years of age without Government assistance! If you behave like most people, your chances of independent living are limited.

6. Invest 5% of your time and income in your own learning, growth and development

You are your greatest asset: what are you doing to continue to maintain and enhance this asset? Brian Tracy, American Sales Trainer, describes you as ‘Managing Director of your own personal services corporation’.

We each have 168 hours given to us each week. Spend at least 8 hours per week, 5% of your week, in some form of learning.

Also invest 5% of your income on your learning. Explore with your accountant the various ways to help you structure this investment in a tax-effective way.

The learning and growth must cover all three areas of mind, body and spirit.

7. Take responsibility for your life: don’t blame other people

This is the hardest one of all! We live in an analgesic society, where people simply want to be given a pill to solve their problems. One of these ‘pills’ is to blame other people when things go wrong.

True freedom comes to you when you accept that you are responsible for everything that happens to you. The only person in the world that you can change is you. When you change you, your whole world will change. Accept responsibility, and you can change the world, and your unique experience of it.

Finally,

If you implement these seven strategies, you will access your unique Passionate Performance in a way that delivers you the life that means success to you. I believe that Australia’s future success in a globalised environment depends on every person taking responsibility for the country’s future, and not leaving it to others!

About the author...

Charles B Kovess, is ‘Australia’s Passion Provocateur’! He has led and built teams for over 30 years in business, sport, schools, charitable and professional organisations. After 20 years’ as one of Australia’s top business/commercial lawyers, he established a new career as a professional speaker, corporate mentor/coach and motivational trainer. He is the author of the best-selling books, Passionate People Produce and Passionate Performance. Charles B Kovess can be contacted on: email: telephone: +61 3 95622248 PO Box 1412, Central Park Vic 3145 Australia Charles B Kovess, LL.B. (Hons), LL.M., CSP, MAICD, MAITD www.kovess.com March 2006