Before we get into the first of the HP6 from Brendan Burchard, i first want to create a delination around habits. Something i talk a lot about in the context of our sub-conscious mind and habit loops. Those habits are created when we do something so many times that it becomes almost automatic. Do a simple action that’s easy to remember, do it repeatedly, and get rewarded for it, and you start to develop a habit that will become second nature. Tie your shoes, drive a car, type on a keyboard. Yeah? Well, these are simplistic routine habits.
For this blog, we are not talking about those types of habits. The habits that really matter in improving performance are not unconscious. They don’t become automatic or easier with time. You need to be mindful of your footing as you climb higher, so your habits must remain conscious – or as Brendon calls them deliberate habits. These are consciously chosen, willed into existence, and continually revisited to strengthen your character and increase your odds of success.
Deliberate habits won’t come easily. You have to practice them with real mental focus, especially in time of change. Every time you feel stuck, every time you start a new project, every time you measure your progress, every time you try to lead others, you must deliberately think about the high performance habits. Use them as a checklist, just as a pilot uses a pre-flight checklist before every take-off.
This mean that to know what to do to win, is done with full intention and purpose. That way, we are captains of our own fate, not slaves to our impulses. Brendon focusses on making sure you stay in charge, conscious, and clear about what you’re doing, so you can see your performance get better and better—and so you can help others get better, too.
When you knock on the door of opportunity, do not be surprised that it is Work who answers. Brendon Burchard
OK, so with that clear, let’s start with the first of the HP6:
Seek Clarity
Know who you are, how you want to interact with others, what you want to achieve. Be intentional about your thoughts and actions.
High performers are clear on their intentions for themselves, their social world, their skills, and their service to others. Brendon Burchard
The essential habit of seeking clarity helps high performers keep engaged, growing, and fulfilled over the long haul. Compared with their peers, high performers have more clarity on who they are, what they want, how to get it, and what they find meaningful and fulfilling.
Clarity research tells us that successful people know the answers to certain fundamental questions: Who am I? What are my goals? What’s my plan?
Self-awareness is key to success. You have to know who you are, what you value, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and where you want to go.
Highest performers had a great ability to focus on the future and define how they would achieve excellence. They didn’t just know who they were; indeed, they rarely focused on their present personality or preferences. Instead, they consistently thought about who they wanted to be and how to become that.
Brendon challenges us to intentionally consider who we are under 4 different guises, he calls these the Future Four: Self, Social, Skills, and Service, and they can be defined by completing the chart below and answers the 4 simple (seeming) questions:
Hints and tips (coz it’s not that easy at the start of deliberate habits):
Self
Brendon advises us to: “Be more intentional about who you want to become. Have vision beyond your current circumstances. Imagine your best future self and start acting like that person today.”
Ask yourself questions about aspirational words that describe your future self. What do you want to become in the future? For example, you may describe yourself “fulfilled, playful, and grateful.”
These words reflect your values and aspirations. By asking yourself how you would describe your future self, you’re gaining clarity on who you want to become.
Social
Brendon writes: “High performers… have clear intentions about how they want to treat other people… In every situation that matters, they know who they want to be and how they want to interact with others.”
Ask yourself, “How can I be a good person or leader in this upcoming situation?” or “What does the other person need?” or “What kind of tone or mood do I want to set?”
Asking yourself these questions helps you become more intentional about how you want to interact with others, and helps you avoid being entirely reactive or defensive in high-stakes or stressful situations.
Skills
Know what skills and experiences you need to develop in order to be more successful in the future.
By identifying your primary field of interest and the skills required to excel, you can then be intentional about learning, practicing, and reflecting on those skills. Over time, you will develop the expertise necessary to be an excellent performer.
Service
Finally, high performers care deeply about the positive impact they will make for others, and for their broader community. They seek to clarify whom they are serving and what those people need, in order to deliver.
“What will provide the most value to those you serve? This is a question high performer obsess about.”
Brendon advises to think about high performance in service as a search for relevance, differentiation, and excellence.
“Relevance has to do with eliminating things that don’t matter… They ask, ‘What matters now, and how can I deliver it?’
“Differentiation allows high performers to look at their industry, their career, and even their relationships for what makes them unique. They want to stand out for why they are, and to add more value than others do.
“Excellence comes from an internal standard that asks, ‘How can I deliver beyond what’s expected?’
It is worth noting that under-performers tend to focus more on self over service. They are more concerned with their own needs and desires, rather than on what those whom they serve want.
Got it? Great…
I leave you with some of my favourite quotes/sayings about clarity and it’s utmost importance.
“It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal” - Steve Maraboli
“Mystification is simple; clarity is the hardest thing of all” - Julian Barnes
“There are few things more powerful that a life lived with passionate clarity” - Erwin McManus
“When you have clarity of intention, the universe conspires with you to make it happen” - Fabienne Fredrickson
Until next time...
