The Six Ingredients Of Engagement and Learning

I have just walked down Oxford Street in London and couldn’t help but notice even with my eyes fixed on the latest text message received and swiping the screen of my iPhone that Christmas is just around the corner. 

And for some reason it fills me with mixed emotions.  I have two children as you know and they will be looking forward to opening presents with excitement.  The other part that carries mixed emotions for me is that the time we have left coming towards the end of the year.  

My good friend Andrew Finan launched a game that is The easiest way to learn a language www.kloogame.com I was intrigued by the thinking behind it because it mirrored the very ingredients that are vital for engagement and learning of any skill in sport or life and it uses exactly the same ingredients that addictive computer games have. 

Ingredients of Engagement:Today I noticed for the first time because this article has been at the front of my mind for a good while but was only triggered by a conversation about iPhone apps. All day I have found myself on and off trains and tubes noticing people engaged with their phones.  Nothing new there you say. Not at all.  We live in a time when the thought of being without a phone is more traumatic than being without a car.

So I not only observed people engaged in their phones with music or typing I started to look even closer.  And found something astonishing.  Most of the people (6 out of 10) in a given part of the day were playing some sort of game on their phone. 

The lady in the suit behind me, the student sitting erect across the carriage, the businessman on the Virgin train sat next to me were all playing games.   Was I missing something here?  My daughters Hello Kitty game and Ben 10 apps on my phone were not so appealing?  Yet to a generation, these video games have become the primary source of engagement and entertainment.  Some parents and establishments have been concerned about these trends.  Why the resistance? They are also coaching some very good skills. 

Try this: Ask a young person to recite something, tell you about their day at school or remember a fact and you can be met with several grunts.

What are the ingredients that have not only Gen Y glued to these games but all of us?  And how can you apply this to peak performance in sports, business and life? Here are some ingredients that I believe that playing games can help your performance go to a different level.

1.    Start with Small Steps: All these computer games, Wii, Xbox and Phone based games all have this crucial ingredient in them.  You start with small steps.  No jumping from level one to level five, right?  What many people do with in effective goal setting is start with the big plan.

2.    Multiple Long Term and Short Term Aims: How many long term or short term goals do you have?  One or two, three or four? Think of a computer based game that you have played recently.  There are several of both. Just enough to keep you moving forward and engaged.  But putting several tasks to complete.  “Have you ever reached level 13?” is usually a question you here fans of a particular game ask.  A massive amount of different tasks that are designed to keep you interested and never the same amount on the next level.

3.    Effort Is Always Rewarded: Now this is one that lends itself to being a chat rather than a conversation.  Games are constantly reinforcing your effort.  You are rewarded along the way with small prizes, gifts, sound bites of success, flashing reminders “It was worth trying, have another go” type of encouragement.  No failures here.  Mmmm, something to think about. 

4.    Feedback: How am I doing?  Well you don’t need to ask because games are probably the best way of providing feedback.  Pain if you do something wrong and rewarded with pleasure if you do something right.  The learning mechanism is about consequences.  An interesting aside is that many times we do can do something today in society that is deemed wrong but rewarded with pleasure.  The flipside is when we do something that is a success and forget that we should reward ourselves.  Waiting for someone to pat us on the back.  The games we are engaged with are all designed to take care of that for us. 

5.    Keep me guessing: Surprise is a human need.  You love surprise.  Well, the surprises that you know about you love.  And if this sounds complex.  It is.  Because uncertainty is by it’s nature what keeps us engaged in most activities.  It’s why we love films because of the ever unfolding plot that keeps us on the edge of the seat.  But games do this all the time.  Computer games and all sorts of games.  That element of not knowing what is going to happen but we are trying to predict the outcome.  It drives us crazy.  It is exciting and whilst there is that level of emotion in the guessing stage there is also a tremendous amount of learning going on too.

6.    Connection To Others: The real jackpot with playing games has to be that connectedness we feel when playing them.  Computer games have taken this need to the next level by allowing players to engage worldwide and pit their wits against each other.  Competition or collaboration today is what drives all human beings. It is what excites us and keeps us engaged.  Where in your world can you improve or add connectedness?  Add these elements to what you do both professionally and personally and see your results and group engagement go to a different level.  Let me give you a Kloo.  Andrew knew that if he was going to get his daughters to REALLY learn Italian quickly and have it stick he had to get them playing games.   Play is the brains favourite way of learning....ANYTHING. (sorry for the shout but this is important in all skill development)  “I have played the game with family who are hopeless with languages and it really works!” Sarah Ormerod, Trainee Teacher

I urge you as a manager, coach, parent to add these ingredients to what you do and at the same time if you fancy a Xmas game that will have you friends and family speaking fluently, having a blast, being competitive then give www.kloogame.com a go. 

P.S. Kloo is on free trial now for a short period of time

PART ONE: What Do Coaches Look For?

NEW OFFICE NUMBER  0207 125 0027

Just back from Harrogate. I didn't take this bus. Love that town. Spoke at the GOLF SHOW to a group of coaches about being Mont Blanc’s in their industry. The subject of personal coaching came up. Why do we have coaches outside of sports? How they can help etc. I bumped into a few guys. One of them reminded me about a deal we had.

“I told you that if this stuff worked on me (like there was some magic) I said I would write you a blank cheque….I just haven’t got round to sending the blank cheque yet.” More from Daniel and how HE has worked his magic professionally and personally in another post.

LONDON: Yes, I am now London based for a few days a week. If you have ever considered coaching and thought that it was too far to travel north of Manchester or your work schedule didn’t allow. A short walk or tube from the Tottenham Court Road and we can be working towards your goals for 2011.

CHANGED NUMBER: Please update your records and make a note of the new office number

0207 1250027. Email addresses remain the same.

TICKING THE BOXES: I just got off the phone with a coaching client who is based in the Middle East and was getting ready to go to Oman to do a corporate talk. He wanted some tips on getting his message across.

“Be yourself!”

That can be tough when you have a myriad of thoughts and feelings spinning around the body and mind before a speaking engagement. (Speaker Bootcamp coming soon)

He has had extensive experience working with elite athletes, personally managing them and especially through challenging times. He talked passionately about some distinctions that he has seen through the years being around the world’s best in Golf, Football and other sports.

“….But do they tick the other boxes? Psychology, Health, Fitness, Partner/Mentor/Coach……When they tick ALL the boxes they became successful or world class. When they leave one out they don’t deal with it well and look for excuses.”

What is interesting is this client and friend has come out of a challenging period of his own life and talked about the importance of coaching in his own process.

We worked together on and off for over five years and many a time I have been on a call that has been about shifting perspective. He talked of another mentor/coach he has in a different part of his life.

It makes me smile when a client executes and transforms their thinking. He has ticked many boxes and things have clicked for him.

NO MORE QUESTIONS: Every time you improve your thinking in the workplace or in sport the damn game (situation) throws up another challenge. Another question is asked of you. It’s like expanding your tolerance perimeter. It moves further and further out, it expands. Expansion of self starts with asking yourself a new question. Or have someone show up and have you ask those tough questions. That’s the coaching process.

What will I do? What does this mean? What will I become now I have moved to this level….?

WHAT COACHES LOOK FOR: What does the coach do? They see things that you don’t see. The best athletes all have coaches. Michael Jordan had a coach. Best on the planet at what he did. He had a coach? Actors have coaches. Singers have coaches. Those contestants on X Factor are being put through their paces behind the scenes with voice and dance coaches. Because they pick up on when something is slightly out or a miss. Most people say at some point…I don’t need a coach or I don’t need one now. Interesting mindset.

When will the best athletes in the world stop needing a coach? (continued by clicking PART TWO at top right of page)

Part Two: What Do Coaches Look For?

PART TWO.....

They never stop needing a coach because they know that their improvement is a work in progress. What coaching do you have in place that is elevating you to the next level in an area that you want to succeed?
If it’s not coaching…. are you part of a group that meets on a regular basis. A group of people that will hold you accountable to being where you want to be?

PEER GROUP IS PRICELESS: You cannot put a price on the quality of your immediate group or who you have access to.  Can you imagine a peak performing team not meeting for practice on a regular basis? No practice sessions to challenge each other? As much as this an obvious one or common sense. Be careful to fall into that trap of thinking that. It’s obvious that great athletes have coaches and consistently meet to challenge each other.  Again, a common trait for teams and individuals who are the best at what they do is pushing each other to the next level constantly and having a mastermind, a network of others to help them see what they don't.

Are your peers pushing you, pulling you or even kicking you to help you reach your goals?
What if you are performing at the highest levels you can. What are you planning with your coach or group?

STANDING OUT MEANS HAVING A KLOO: My good friend Andrew Finan spoke at the Business Building Summit in February last year. He was only meant to do 90 minutes and ended up doing 3 hours!!! That sounds like something I would do!

Andrew spoke about being a One Man Army. Taking on the big boys and winning. After selling his company to global sports marketing giant IMG he wanted to base his next business on a product idea he’d had for a while.
Only this week we talked about how do people stand out in challenging times. Something that I am talking about at the PGA Conference in Harrogate this week.

Language skills are one distinction in the world today that can propel and enhance your offer professionally and personally.
In fact most of the opportunities are being taken by European counterparts because they are cultured in speaking a second language and maybe a third language in many cases.

What are the skill sets that are needed for an employer today or that could expand your Joint Venture partner or partner associations? What will organizations look for when they have SO much choice today.
Languages will be one skill set in a changing world for many professions.

If you want to develop skills in a way that you REALLY want to and is engaging. That you can play on your own or with friends and family…..go to www.kloogame.com.

Has your coaching process stopped? Stalled...not even started yet? For further information on how you can develop your performance skills call on the new number below.

Jamie
P.S. Make a note of the new number 0207 1250027 and visit www.kloogame.com for your FREE trial.

How To Recover From Injury Quicker

Recover From Injury Quickly - ENERGY THERAPY from Jamie Edwards on Vimeo.

LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED
You can use this TAPPING to rid of any negative, persistent or inappropriate emotion you don’t want to feel.

This sequence is one of many and is specifically for dealing with INJURIES. I have been using this myself to help the healing process of my Achilles Tendon Rupture.

In the past when helping Athletes overcome these emotions linked with being immobile the emphasis has been on changing the thoughts around the events and injury because they create emotion that isn’t conducive with healing. The body can only heal if the mind is working with it. There are many instances of the mind overcoming life threatening illnesses such as cancer.

One of the truly amazing stories I often refer to is Norman Cousins who wrote a great little book that in the past I have given to friends who have been challenged by the "C" word. Anatomy of an illness by N. Cousins.

He was told that he had little chance of surviving but he suspended his belief and created a recovery programme that incorporated traditional medicine (large doses of Vitamin C) along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films (US comedy).

He said, "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep and when the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."

Many of you will have heard about many alternative therapies. This exercise uses a combination of ancient Eastern methods and alternative therapy. This may look a little weird at first but you will have heard of acupuncture. It works in exactly the same way. Releasing blocked energy or emotion.

Used also for overcoming phobias, depression, cravings and cases of post traumatic stress for the military.

INJURIES:
This is specifically for injuries. The sequence (or pattern) that the energy flows in your body will be unlocked, yet is different for various emotions.

1. Choose a feeling or put your attention on the feeling.
2. What sort of feeling is it? Dull or sharp?
3. How intense is it? Scale of 1 to 10
4. That’s the blocked energy what you can feel.
5. Put attention on the feeling you found. Tap the Karate chop point (fleshy part of palm near little finger)

REPEAT: "Even though I have this injury…I deeply and completely accept myself.......Even though I have this niggling/uncomfortable/painful injury I deeply and completely accept myself." (Use words appropriate for you)

Mine are "Inconvenient....uncomfortable......etc"

At this point you might notice a difference in the intensity of the feeling. It may increase. It may have reduced.

NEXT STEP
Now we are going to engage all of your brain to make sure that we have all of the feeling.

Follow the second part of the video. THAT IS ONE ROUND. Rate the feeling on a scale of 1 to 10. Then do more rounds to reduce the feeling.

THE REAL SKILL OF THE MENTAL GAME: To change a feeling that is related to a thought.

This is great for injuries and pain.

Hope this helps. Pass it on to friends who may have pain.

How do you get more out of yourself and your team?

Get More Out Of Yourself and Team from Jamie Edwards on Vimeo.

There are three areas (W) WORK (R) RELATIONSHIPS (S) SELF that are important to focus on to create some type of BALANCE…..unlike me on my crutches.

At certain times of our life they have a different emphasis. Our behaviour can be very predictable at certain these times. If you think of these areas as CIRCLES that will and can change in size and importance if left unattended and with conscious application can affect BALANCE in any direction.

For example we know that from the age of 23 to 28 the W of work will be very large because it's the start of your career. We can predict that (R) will go from testing to serious consideration of longer term partnerships. And as we move from emerging careers to settling (28 -30) to planting foundations in the next decade 30s to 40s our thinking will shift again in areas that matter the most.

The circles start to have different meanings when in transition 40 to 45 where these circles are questioned.....even beyond this period. So whilst obvious there are many factors that distract us from attending to a circle at a particular time. The need to review the size of the areas and focus has an impact on performance in and out of the workplace and business and even sports.

A recent presentation to two separate audiences in very different industries prompted me to ask the question. Both groups wanted to look at how they could squeeze more from performance in business. Both peak performing teams at the top of their business game.

Watch the video and ask your self the question at the front end of the video. See if you can see the mistake too.

Talk soon,

Jamie

Does Performance Begin Between The Ears Or Is it Triggered?

Training the Anaesthetist's Brain from Jamie Edwards on Vimeo.

It’s interesting question? Depending on your current conditions, work, sports, life you can have different perspectives on how does the space between your ears have an impact on your own performance.

Over the past few months we have seen many sporting events from Wimbledon, and the World Cup where players fulfill expectations or collapse under the weight of them due to an inability to control that flood of expectation that washes over the purest of technicians.

This was one of the topics I discussed on the operating theatre table with Dr Webster at Royal Oldham Hospital. She kept me awake for a reason. I believe we meet people for certain reasons or messages at times in our life. It was great because I got to help her with some questions she had that had bothered her when she was training. "Why are we not given any help on dealing with these situations?"

She helped me stay present and shift my attention from the operation. Curiosity did get the better of me......"Is he cutting me at the minute?" She nodded with a slight grimace. She looked at me as though I'd gone white and said....."Don't worry..."
LANGUAGE
She was the second person in the team who had said that phrase...which I explained that all I will focus on is the word worry.
"Don't think of the colour BLUE." I paused to let them process it and they smiled. "What do you want me to be?" Now I'm on a roll, I think I'm in A theatre not THE theatre. It doesn't take much to trigger those performance states. It's the domino is knocked over first. It leads to a number of other questions. moves, actions or even states of mind.

The suicide rate amongst Anaesthetist's is one of the highest in the medical professions and yet she said they receive no training on how to deal with the many situations they face daily in intensive care. She added that to cope with the end of the day scenarios many will hit the bottle or change keep playing and replaying like a DVD the movies of the day.

Which is why we got into crossing over these skills from sports into life. I personally get lots more pleasure form seeing someone use these skills in their work place or life but they have made the connection through the sport they enjoy.
The primary question today would be “How does this apply to me?” and then ask “How can I use this…NOW!”

SPACE:
July 5th I spent two days in Windermere. A long time since I had been up there. A very peaceful place to be. There were two reasons for the trip. Create space and to discuss space. Creating space mentally is something that we often have challenges with. Flooding the mind with information, allowing disempowering emotions to overwhelm us in daily life and then occupy the last bit of space you may have to enjoy in the gap.

185 DAYS GONE
Every year the first two days in July I take time out to review where I am in the year. I was also there preparing for the corporate training team from Virgin Media. A peak performing and very well respected team of trainers in their industry.
They have had a very busy 6 months and wanted to create space both professionally and personally. I wanted to share a couple of themes from the session that really had these 7 people look at where they are.

ARE YOU GROWING YOUR TEAM?
Where ever you are in the structure of your business, the Owner, CEO, Senior Exec, or Key employee there is a question that is very important for you at this time of the year.

Am I growing or stretching myself and more importantly am I growing my team?
HONEST CONVERSATIONS
Last February I had invited a friend of the family to the Business Building Summit in Manchester. His company does about £2m a year. I invited him to the event with his team. His response was “If I bring them to that event they will all want to leave.” His response was a sign of not being comfortable with developing individuals. Quite a contrast to the Virgin boss who said “What type of leader am I if I cannot develop my staff for the next stage of their careers.”
You can only have a look at the possibility of the next level by daring to ask yourself the honest questions. Those questions that sometimes the answers are very hard to hear in the echo at the back of your head......Read more click LIVE EVERY LITRE on the top right........

LIVE EVERY LITRE......

BE YOURSELF
We live in a world of playing the WWTTOM game (What Will They Think Of Me), which is a form of performance paralysis. Worrying about what people will think. Will people judge? Yes. Do you go out of your way to impress? No. I believe (only my opinion) but when you are yourself in sports, business and life you are communicating from your core. The REAL you, not the mask or shell identity. Everyone has these two identities. Which one do you take to your arena? The classroom, the boardroom, the course or the training pitch?
It’s hard to be yourself if you don’t know the difference between the shell and the core identity. I am running a course in London in the next month that will explore these identities. It will be a small group. What will free you from the shackles of your performances. I the context of business when you are communicating from your REAL self, you feel an empathy with the person on the other side of the table. A connection that isn't forced or trying.

LIVING EVERY LITRE (the new goal getting with a difference)
I just watched a great online documentary called produced in association with HONDA called LIVE EVERY LITRE. 13 people who went on a road trip that involved them ticking something off on their 100 things to do before they die.
It brings up the question of……”The road or the destination. Which to you is more important?” Have a look anyway. It may inspire you to do something. www.liveeverylitre.com
ROLLING BACK THE YEARS
One of the reasons why I have stepped back on a basketball court (temporary hiccup) at least…I have a LEL moment for next year 2011 that I will share in a future post. It involves playing with a true legend of the game. In order to do that I have to be in great shape and actually start playing again. In May on a trip to Atlanta I thought nothing of turning up at a local gym to play some ball. For the past few months my invitation to play has come from former teammate Jason Swaine who conveniently plays at Rishworth School through the summer. I haven’t had chance to get there on a Wednesday or Thursday night with travelling. This was going to be the “break me in session” after 10 years. But instead I walk through the doors of LA Fitness in Covington, Atlanta and look at what looked like the basketball version of the 100m finals. I swore I saw Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay, in fact they were all a blur. And to top it off I was looking along the sidelines and what looked like spectators was another 25 athletes waiting impatiently for the losers to come off.
SO THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
And for 30 seconds I had that feeling that my clients describe when they are going to an event and not being certain about their skills or themselves.
“Why did I choose Atlanta as the reintroduction to the game?” Actually a very good question. Why not Rishworth, Yorkshire because that was definitely the easy option. Yet I thought of Don Bradman making practice more difficult than the real game. Play out here with these gazelles and the Memorial game will be so much easier.
PERFORMANCE IS NOTHING BUT REMEMBERING
I have said it before and I will say it again. For many in sports, business and life the resources are there in talent, knowledge, ability and so on. The challenge for most is getting out of their own way and get help with certain triggers.
Playing in the Pete Jacques Memorial Game was always going to be a mixed emotional experience for me personally. Those who have trained with me over the years have heard the story of the negative ones that were associated with being injured in Doncaster. No surprise there as I am lay here with my leg in plaster.
My over excitement and rolling back the years was helped on by the combination of the reunion and domino effects.
1. REUNIONS: Just like if you see an old friend, or play at a stadium you enjoyed good performances at or played against people who you had in your pocket so to speak. The people I saw at the Dome in Doncaster were all giving me the reunion effect. In fact I wanted to cry when I saw some of the club staff who 18 years before had every Saturday followed the team up and down the country. Those good feelings started to come back.
Well, until a young fan said “Jamie, you looked so much taller when I was 9 years old!” and laughed with commentator Mike Shaft. (www.mikeshaft.com for pictures)

2. THE DOMINO EFFECT: For me this is the main trigger because if you start the first trigger it will lead to the next and like a complex pattern of dominoes it will then just take on it’s own momentum. Which is why we have routines or rituals. So you can perform on autopilot. When you know what the sequence is or was to your best performances in sports or in the business world then you can recreate them and or get very close to how you felt before.

3. FEEL GOOD FIRST…There was no chance I was going to hope to perform after 10 years and then feel good. Flip it. Feel good, find or remember what you were like before. GREAT QUESTION TO ASK: Have you ever played well? As I type this I have answered it already in my mind. By this time the domino will be on its way.
At this point I hadn’t even got out of the car and my domino had already started. The walk to the entrance, a certain pace and though I had Kobe with me I had raced off in game mode. The walk into the main arena and greeting the same people after 18 years had triggered the same feelings…it was game day. The changing rooms, my warm up jogging across the halfway line.

HOW DID I END UP IN HOSPITAL?
I had to remember to lighten up a little, it wasn’t the cup final but the sequences or patterns were all the same. That’s how I ended up in hospital. I was back in the zone or in the groove, it was all coming back.
UTILIZATION: It is one thing getting into the zone in business or life it’s another being able to use the state in the appropriate places. Fear is an appropriate emotion, in the right place, at the right time. Likewise so is anger. In the right context and the right time and with the right people.

What can you do to set up triggers in your environment that can start the domino effect consciously at first and then with some training, unconsciously?
What are those environmental triggers that you can notice that inspire you at the start of the day? What are the conscious triggers that you use? Do you use them daily?
Talk Soon,
Jamie
p.s. I am now in doing a limited number of sessions in London also for those who have thought about " individual coaching". To book or discuss call 0207 125 0027.

The 4 QUADRANTS OF TIME: Where You Can Save or Lose The Most Precious Commodity

The Four Quadrants Of Time from Jamie Edwards on Vimeo.

I wanted to share something that I have been recently been coaching in sports and business. A few weeks ago to World Cup Winner Gee Atherton came to his usual session at this point in the season with different challenges.
We were discussing the aspects of his preparation at an event that really zap him of his mental energy. He is the consummate professional and has time for everyone. Autographs, Sponsors, Family, fans, media you name it he does it.

PROBLEM: Last year at Fort William he was anxious before his race run. He didn’t feel ready. A sub-par performance and a missed championship. Why? Not the anxiety but what had created the anxiety. Lack of time. Something we all feel, right. Yes, even those who are time rich at some point feel like where has it gone.
Unfortunately, Gee ends up in any of the first three quadrants below and it impacts his performance.

TIME AS AN EMOTION
I mentioned it at a recent conference because the group where challenged with having enough time and I mentioned that to all of us TIME IS AN EMOTION.
Have you ever been in a queue and 5 minutes seemed like 25 minutes or been with someone special and you never have enough time or it just stops. You know that feeling……..as well as the deadline fast approaching, you need to get something done in even less time.

Athletes talk about not having time or that they feel like they had loads of it. It’s like currency. Spent well it makes you mentally and physically rich. Misused it can create an emotional deficit.

DO THIS FOR 7 DAYS
Where do you spend your time? Write down the things you did over the course of this week or a typical week that drained your emotional bank account.

1: DISTRACTION: What do you do to escape? What do you do that is NOT IMPORTANT and NOT URGENT. When we are stressed and don’t want to do any kind of thinking we head for this quadrant. Examples being TV (too much), Internet (too much).

What do you use to escape? What activity? How long for?

2: DELUSION: What are the things you did but were frustrated that you did them? URGENT BUT NOT REALLY THAT IMPORTANT. The creation of too many to-dos’. This is where stress comes from.
What do you feel you have to do that seemed so important in the moment? How many hours did you spend here?

3: DEMAND: Just when you have a plan you get hit with urgent DEMANDS of others. Now sometimes this is not avoidable. If your children or colleague gets sick, there’s an accident, the biggest account is about to leave and needs to talk to you. This is URGENT and IMPORTANT.

This is where the mindset of DEAL WITH IT comes in because someone else’s sense of urgency has impacted on your world. Be flexible. This is context related. If you are part of a project team then you may need to help out there get involved and review later.
Anticipation is the key to lessening the amount of time here. But what were the things you had to do immediately and were REALLY important. How many hours?

4: ZONE: What did you do that was IMPORTANT but NOT URGENT? Something that you didn’t have to do BUT you chose to do it. This is where you feel like you are in the flow and making things happen. You are zoned out on doing the tasks that are VERY IMPORTANT but NOT URGENT.

What would fit into this quadrant for you right now? What is it? The halfway point in the year. What could give you and your colleagues the advantage if you’re thinking ahead and anticipating, getting in the zone and completing the NOT URGENT but VERY IMPORTANT stuff?

Talk Soon,

Jamie

Get Ready For Exams Pt: 3 and 4

Two videos that you will find useful if you are a student or you know someone who is a student and they are getting ready for exams right now.

Video One is about controlling nerves using an age old breathing technique.

Video Two is about how to change from negative emotions to positive ones when you get stuck in the loop of insanity.

Video 1:


Video 2:




Talk Soon,

Jamie

Get Ready For Exams Pt: 2

At this time of year I like to share the same skills that would be coached in sports and coach them to young people. Why? Because they have as much if not greater impact outside of the sporting arena or business arena.

Share this with someone who is getting ready for exams in the next few weeks or months. Very often you can get ready but not be mentally ready.

Stop calling it REVISION. Most students don't like revision. Athletes train and practice. So do dancers, actors and actresses. Train, Train, Train. Treat this period like a project.

Stop calling them teachers. Call them coaches!

Share with someone who you know who is getting ready for them.

Jamie

The Next 100 Days

The Business Summit from Jamie Edwards on Vimeo.

We are on 102nd day of the year!
“The motivation of human spirit is very easy to witness but very hard to calculate.” Which is why we marvel at people in all walks of life who tend to display the courage of overcoming challenges professionally and personally.
HUMAN NATURE: It’s human nature to want to quit when it hurts. But in all aspects of sport and life you find people who endure the THUNDERBOLTS, the SLUMPS, the MISTAKES and the 2nd Place finishes. Which is why Lee Westwood is such a remarkable story.

How does an individual who had been as high as 5th in the world then dropped off the planet rediscover his form in only five years to be back in the top four in the world?

I worked with Lee personally during that period of doubt. We worked on a few aspects not just his game. The skills are just a small part of the big picture. That’s the obvious place to look. Skills. What is driving you at the core is fundamental to lighting that fire again whether your team or in yourself.

I will be revealing in an upcoming webinar one of the concepts that we used that can be applied to sports, business or life that when Lee was 250th in the world helped him rediscover how to light the fire.


TALENT FILTRATION: Could you have the past 5 months of Tiger’s life and perform at that level playing badly (by his standards at the weekend) and finish in the top 5? If you are in a slump and you quit you have wasted time. If it’s worth doing stick with it and come out on the other side.

The system wants you to STOP. I call it Talent Filtration. Why? Because those who come out the other side become scarce. They have greater learning and experience. Think of exams, college, tests, becoming a lawyer or doctor or an elite athlete. It gets tougher the closer you are to your goal…why? The system wants to filter out those who can’t stick with it. The army do it too. It happens in all walks of life.

The slump isn’t permanent….it doesn’t always stay cold and bleak…the seasons do change. It’s spring…. a new government, policies or even leader eventually….(let’s not go there).

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: A friend commented on the Nike Tiger advert aired at the weekend and said “When we can easily lose touch with mentors and it can be easy to forget the lessons they taught us.” Which of your mentors or coaches professionally and personally could trigger new thoughts and ideas for the next 100 days.
When did you last call them?

NO BIG SECRET: The mental game and the trained brain philosophy have a foundation in Eastern disciplines. Check out my friend Jayne Storey at www.chipowergolf.com as she can teach you how to develop the same skill that Tiger was talking about and relate it to your sport or business. His background is one of following Eastern disciplines. His Mother’s culture of Buddhism influenced his thinking many years ago. He said in an earlier interview this last week that he was going to get back to some basics. One of those basics was meditation.


Talk Soon,

Jamie

What would you do if you knew this was your last year?

1. You and I don’t know when the last year will be in anything? We attempt to see into the future and create but whilst I believe in vision there are certain things we do not control.

Look at things differently by Thinking Differently

I never thought I would say this or experience this. In the past I have often had a sports client and those in business who are indulging in SELF and asked them this question.

“If you knew this was going to be your last performance ever how would you go about it?”

“How would you act?”

“How would you respond to challenges?” They really need a jolt. A big jolt.

We think that we are eternal. Two days ago the phone rang. A client had his father call me. He said his son was in hospital.

Had a stroke. Young and fit. In his 40s.

He had just been to visit and he wanted me to know. I was numb.

My mind was asking “Why?”
But I know that is not a very good question to ask.

Imagine this…

A brilliant career in finance, recently became financially free, a very,
very good amateur golfer, retired early because he could do. He was devoting time to his young family, his wife and enjoying what is every working persons dream.

The TIME to pursue the things he had put off.

THEN out of the blue he was hit with this THUNDERBOLT. A stroke that
paralyzed him down the left side.

We talked for an hour or more last night. I listened to his voice.
Though a slight change he was remarkably upbeat. But I did not expect anything different.

“Jamie, I am a stroke survivor!” he said proudly.
It’s not going to beat me attitude. I listened to his tone throughout. It only
wavered once. “I’m taking each day as a battle. Win the battles the war will take care of itself.”

What an attitude. He doesn’t know the future. The doctors don’t know the future. So he said he needs to take care of his thinking.

The Doc said it was 1 in a million chance he could get the condition.

I said that someone upstairs chose the wrong man to think he would throw in his
towel. This guy is mentally tough. He needs to be. His children need him to be, his family does too.

What do you take for granted?

Tennis. Do you think you will play forever?
Golf. Believe it or not one day you will play golf for a last time.
You will play football for a final time.
You will do what you LOVE for a final time.
Enjoy it now.

2. Very wise words from Old Trafford

I had a meeting with Man Utd this week. The Executive was into his mental training and he said this to me about the players at all levels.

“Talent gets you into this place….attitude keeps you here.”

3. Talk in my language!

In 48 hours one of my guest speakers will be talking about how to be a One Man Army and beat the big guys. Andrew Finan created one of the most challenging Corporate Team building events and sold it to IMG.

He has just launched his new language learning game called KLOO. I have been putting off learning a language for a few years.

They give you an advantage in life, business and sports if you can communicate. They give you options as my English and European friends who work in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and other parts of Europe all know.

So I am now going to learn Spanish using KLOO.
For further details go to www.kloogame.com

Oh nearly forgot. Number 4 was this great book. The Alchemist, By Paulo Coelho.

Will Harry Meet You at the Manchester Summit?

On Saturday 20th Feb to 21st I host the Trained Brain business summit at the City Inn Hotel, Manchester, near Piccadilly Station.

There are certain people that I have had the pleasure of meeting, working with and learning from and Harry Drnec is one of them. In this short series of videos he describes how he started his own career and the mindset for developing one of the best marketing teams in the UK.





He will be talking about the simple trained brain skills that he recommends that you develop for success this year. He is one of four inspirational speakers who will be discussing the mindset that can help you and your team go to a different level in 2010.

Mark McCormick, the founder of IMG sports marketing company said "You just have to show up. Good things happen when you show up."

You will go away with some tools and practical ideas that will add to your business career regardless of the level you are playing at right now.

To book on the summit with a colleague or friend follow the link www.trained-brain.com/conference.html or call the office on 01457 877722.

There are only a few places at the table remaining.

What Will Smith says about Talent you need to know

"There's no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A." I love that line.

A thought for the people of Haiti

In 1989 I was at High School in San Francisco. On October 17th a 7.1 on the Richter scale shook the city. Just when you think your world is certain and an earthquake comes and rips foundations from under your feet.

We really don't know we have lived. It takes something like this to wake people up. Take action. 100 UN staff thought that they were going home at the end of a days work contributing to a small country in need.

You never know when. There are always things you have no control of. The only part of this existence you have control of is what you think and feel.

Thoughts to the people of Haiti.


Jamie


p.s. Train Your Business Brain Summit Feb 20th - 21st Manchester, UK.

Very good video to help you Thinking Differently for 2010?

Jamie Edwards presents Think Differently Seminar from Jamie Edwards on Vimeo.

OK - I did this seminar in July for Audi Business Managers on the performance mindset for the thinking differently in challenging times. I just got back today from doing a third session with that group.

They had an outstanding year in tough conditions so I thought I would share the actual video of that very session back with you here.

It's 64 minutes that will have you thinking differently. If you have a company or group of individuals that want to kick start 2010 share this with them. It will transform their thinking.

Why Positive Thinking is a Lie & The Quarter Shot Effect and it's application to your business and your teams. Too much to mention.

Feel free to share this with your colleagues, boss and/or friends they will thank you for it or leave a comment below after you watch it.

Talk Soon,

Jamie