People who achieve great success are always learning. They seek ways to improve and are prepared to work through the difficulties of change required to become better.

Peter Senge in his book, The Learning Organization, expands in great detail about his idea for organizations to constantly seek improvement in everything. But what about learning at a personal level? What if you are currently at the top of your game? Surely you've already learned.

Our learning journey can go through a series of steps and the height of our performance is determined by our technical ability and our mindset, our aptitude and our attitude.

Learning Journey

The journey is not always easy or straightforward. Let's return to Tiger Woods...

Prepared to change

You're at the top of your game, you're doing better than anyone has ever done in your field. Technically, you are the best in your business. You earn more than anyone else in the same line of business. You have a serious competitive advantage. Why would you decide to change something fundamental about the way you do what you do?

After seven years and 142 tournaments in a row, Tiger Woods finally joined the ranks of mortal golfers when he missed the cut at the Byron Nelson Championship May 13, 2005. Golf pundits argue that changing his swing is to blame.

Tiger's Swing Change

There was another reason, his knee. A physical problem that seems to not want to go away. But what makes Tiger stand out so much from the rest is not just his aptitude for the game, his superior technical skill... it's his mindset. In spite of being in a great deal of pain... he overcame it with a determination, the will and resilience that allowed his technical brilliance to shine.

A Positive attitude

We all have days (sometimes weeks and months) where everything seems to be going wrong. Whatever you try to do, however clear your goal - there just doesn't seem to be any progress.

Sports psychologists refer to the period when everything is going well and peak performance is apparent as being 'in the zone'. Golfers who find their rhythm and the ball lands just so. The athlete who has trained and is at their physical and mental peak runs the race of their life. The business person who's found themselves in the right place at the right time with the right product or service.

Yet most of the time, we just ain't there. We yank the club and the ball lands in the bunker. Our business would be just great if we just land this additional sale.

Some days, it's hard to wake up and find the energy to put on a brave face and go out there knowing that today probably isn't that day, hoping that it is but not really believing it. We known we have to learn and improve but just when is my breakthrough going to come.

It may not come today, but one thing I can assure you of - something about today is better than yesterday.

What's better today?

Being prepared to learn and change and put in the required effort is a critical step in constantly improving. But this carries the suggestion that we should focus on what is wrong, or what needs improving.

If we're going to consider being in "pull-mode" towards our goals and ambitions, a much better question to ask is "what's better today?"

When you meet someone, or write a message it is 'normal' to ask "how are you?" or "How do you do?" Now in doing so, do you really, truthfully want to know the answer?

"Well, I've had this terrible problem with my stomach and I didn't sleep too well last night for all the stress I'm under and..."

How would you respond if instead I asked you "what's better today?"

Would you reflect on improvements made? Would it cause you to think about some things have indeed moved forward?

Try it, I dare you! It makes it a whole heap easier to keep on going towards that goal.

Your Choice

People who have achieved great success know what they want to achieve and have a clear vision of their future.

They recognise that their technical ability, their aptitude is one (small) part that contributes to their achievement and constantly strive to improve.

Most importantly, they keep on keeping on, keep turning up and are prepared to learn and change whilst maintaining a positive attitude.

Even Tiger has a bad round of golf - nothing like as bad as most of us but bad for him. Do you see him quitting?

You were created to soar at altitude like an eagle not peck the dirt like a chicken.

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