The Four Seasons in Maui

Last week I had a keynote in a beautiful hotel, in an unusual location.  The hotel was the Four Seasons, and the location was Maui.  Before you say; “Oh… how lucky for Rob,” pause for a moment.  When you are putting almost 24 hours in the air, pushing your watch backwards six hours for a one hour talk, and only staying for a 30 hour visit, you realize it’s just another location. 

When I have to travel such a long way, I find that I have a natural passion to do well.  After all, a client has put their trust in me, and they have invested a lot in the high travel costs and the talk I’m paid to deliver.  Every time I travel overseas, I am driven to do everything I can to make sure my client gets their money’s worth.  It seems the further I travel, the more I have at stake, and this is where the Blarticle™ begins.

I am sure that you can remember some of your successes when you had a lot at stake, and you were properly motivated, and you achieved your goal.  My question is:  What happens to you when you do not have a lot at stake?  Lest you think I’m always giving my keynotes in places like Maui, last year I delivered a keynote for fourteen people in the back of an Italian Restaurant named “Zia’s” on the outskirts of Toledo, Ohio.  I didn’t even make it into the city of Toledo for that one!  Not a lot at stake there, right?

Zia's Almost in Toledo

Wrong.  I will tell you what’s at stake: Your pride in performing at the highest level you can, regardless of the circumstances.  It’s a great habit to form.  It’s almost impossible to reform that habit once you’ve let that voice in your head tell you, “this one really doesn’t matter.”  Another thing that is also at stake is your reputation.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler, a tremendous fighter in the 80’s and middleweight champion for seven years, once said, “When I wake up, I train as hard as I can.  But when I wake up weary, unmotivated, and I don’t feel like training, I work twice as hard.  That’s what separates me from my competition.”

We all cherish the mornings we can wake up and enjoy the more exciting aspects of our jobs and lives.  For me, on the not so glamorous mornings, I love the challenge of disciplining my mind to perform at an even higher level, and at the end of the day I’d like to think that’s what separates me from my competition.  How about you?