All posts filed under: Motivation

Perform like a champion

Published by Colin Nanka

“Success is often gained by not doing battle, the strategy is as much in knowing what not to do as it is in knowing what to do.” – Sun-Tzu Excerpt from the “The Way of the Champion by Jerry Lynch” NCAA Championship Coach and Sports Psychologist. “An accomplished jazz musician once told me that truly good music is the result of the space between the notes. The pause makes it what it is. Musical pauses are not a lack of action; they are an integral part of the action. So it is with your training and work schedule. Getting in good shape, being at your best regardless of your sport or career, is the result of the rest (pause) or space between the intervals of work. Your cellular structure is fragile and requires periods of rest. Like a champion, you need to learn how to massage your mind and body into shape as opposed to excessively forcing or pushing it there.” Find your time to battle, not battle and enjoy the pauses between the notes. …

Clear is kind, unclear is unkind

Published by Colin Nanka

Tough conversations are critical to your success as a leader. It’s a combination of empathy, aligning on values and being courageous on a conversation. Brene Brown spoke to our company earlier this month and as she shared “Clear is kind, unclear is unkind.”  We often sugarcoat or give people half truths to make ourselves feel better when giving feedback. “Not getting clear with a colleague about your expectations because it feels too hard, yet holding them accountable or blaming them for not delivering is unkind.” Of course, you need to invest in the relationship and build trust to earn the right to give feedback. Be Clear. Highly recommend Brene Brown’s new book, Dare to Lead. Defeating the Average within. Colin

When your odds are 42 to 1…you should just go home

Published by Colin Nanka

On Feb 11, 1990, Buster Douglas went to Tokyo, Japan a 42 to 1 underdog against Mike Tyson for the boxing heavyweight championship of the world. I was a big Tyson fan when I was younger, most of my friends were. There was just something about his awesome power in the ring and the show he put on. I remember where I was and the moment I realized Tyson was in trouble. Most people don’t know Douglas’ back story and that his father was an ironclad contender in the middleweight division. Buster lived in the shadow of his father’s legend in the ring for much of his life. His mother was his rock. On this night, he lived up and came out of his shadow. ESPN and the 30 for 30 sports franchise just released the unknown story of Buster Douglas in 42 to 1. If you have ever felt like you haven’t quite lived up to your potential (spoiler, we all do) or there is a championship sequel that you need to write, this …

Schedule Your Inspiration

Published by Colin Nanka

If you don’t schedule it, it may not happen. I find my best days are when I connect with mentors, growth mindset peers or people I am mentoring. I have learned over time that life gets really busy and before you know it, 6 months have passed and you have not connected with some people that really inspire you. I schedule in bi-weekly and monthly meetings with these type of people so that every week I have inspiring conversations to look forward to. February Challenge – Schedule your inspiration. Defeating Average Daily. Colin

The truly civilized man is marked by empathy

Published by Colin Nanka

“The truly civilized man is marked by empathy.” – Malcolm Kerr, from a collection of Essays 1967 (and Father of Steve Kerr, NBA Coach) Whether you are a fan of the Golden State Warriors or not, NBA legendary player and coach has a lot to teach. This is a great conversation where he talks about what he learned from USC and Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carrol about how he learned to be a great coach, after leaving his first NFL job. Listen to Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors Head Coach from Finding Mastery: Conversations with Michael Gervais in Podcasts. Also, hear about why having a vision is only the start of the journey. Have a vision, share the vision and allow it to shift from the input. Instilling values, bringing everyone along and reflecting on them daily has been a critical learning for Steve and his team. More great nuggets, highly recommend. Have a great week. Colin

92% of New Years Resolutions Fail and Here is Why

Published by Colin Nanka

92% of New Year Resolutions fail and this is why Resolution is defined as:   a firm decision to do or not to do something. Synonyms: The intention, resolve, decision, intent, aim, plan; more Resolution is the inspiration, decision, the intention to make a positive change….and the achievement of that change are in Action, Commitment, Discipline.   Commitment is either on or off like an old computer program 1 (True) or 0 (False). How do you help fulfill a commitment to yourself? When the goal or habit gets tough, know who and what are in your corner. What is your why behind the goal? Is it strong enough?  I find thinking through and writing this out is helpful Who are you accountable to? It needs to be more than yourself.  Your partner? Are their people you can collaborate with that are looking for a similar outcome?  How are you getting momentum on your goal? What is one small thing you can do today? Email somebody and tell them, or book a meeting. One big thing you can do towards it? …

Why you could be wild for Wanaka

Published by Colin Nanka

Everyone needs to recharge and restore. I’ve stared 1,000 miles into the abyss of some incredible places. Four incredible deserts, three magnificent mountain ranges and across the blue ice of the last continent, Antarctica. We have seen (and still are on the road!) and experienced some amazing food, culture, wine, and people. New Zealand is absolutely spectacular. Don’t get me wrong, Australia has been a blast. Beautiful sights, people, beaches, sun, food and of course toasted banana bread! There were three times I stopped and just stared in disbelief at the beauty around us and smelled and absorbed as much of it as possible. I could feel a restoration filling my body. Queenstown, Milford Sound, and Wanaka. I grew up near the snow-covered hills, alpine, and mountains, those type of places will always be my place to restore. Blake and I sat at a winery and stared across the crystal blue lake to the green mountains in Wanaka and both said this is one of the most beautiful places we had ever seen. It may …

It took me 20K hours

Published by Colin Nanka

There was a time in my life I didn’t read much or focus on learning. My 10K hours was spent trying to find shortcuts in life. I was smart of enough to get by, get good enough marks and do a good enough job…until I wasn’t. That’s when the next 10K hours began. It was slow at first, I had some small wins and of course many failures along the way. I had to decide if being Average was good enough for me. There was a lot of work below the water line, and finally, some ice started to shine through the top. I remember about the time I decided it wasn’t. I adopted “the hard way is the easy way as one of my mantras.”  I said yes to everything hard, gave every ounce of effort I had for an entire year. To see what was possible. I found out a lot. It starts with intent. A new season, a new year is coming round the corner. I’ll be writing this year about “Defeating …