“Confidence is not, ‘They will like me.’ Confidence is, ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t.’” – Christina Grimmie, musician
The First Sip
Happy Sunday NAME!
You all know that I’m a big believer in cultivating a healthy BODY and a healthy MIND.
And while my wife and I are pretty serious about staying fit – even during lockdown – I think Chris Nikic has one-upped me.
(Okay, that’s probably an understatement 😆)
You see, Chris recently completed his first TRIATHLON in 16 hours, 46 minutes, and 9 seconds.
Best of all?
He became the first competitor with Down’s Syndrome to cross over the Iron Man Race finish line in the organization’s 42-year history.
“Being the first person with Down’s Syndrome is a great feeling,” Chris said prior to the start of the race. “I can prove to kids that if I can do it, they can do it, too.”
The Iron Man Race – which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile cycle, and finally a 26.2-mile marathon – is considered to be the toughest and most physically gruelling challenge in the world.
But to Chris, finishing this race was about more than a celebration of victory.
“Ironman has served as his platform to become one step closer to his goal of living a life of inclusion, normalcy, and leadership,” says his father, Nik.
“It’s about being an example to other kids and families that face similar barriers, proving no dream or goal is too high… If Chris can do an Ironman, he can do anything.”
And while Chris’ accomplishment is special to him and his family, his father, hopes that it has a lasting impact on other kids with Down’s Syndrome.
“We want them to realize earlier that their child is a blessing, and they can live an amazing life,” Nik said beaming with pride.
If this story isn’t a testament to hard work, audacious goal-setting, and intentional vision-casting, I don’t know what is…
And it’s inspired me to ask myself a question – a question that I’d like to ask you, as well:
When was the last time you really challenged yourself?
I’m talking about a challenge so big that it would cause people to raise their eyebrows if they knew about it?
When was the last time you really stretched yourself?
These are questions worth pondering and rolling over in your mind.
It might not be a physical challenge – like running a triathlon – but it could be something in your business or personal life.
I believe there’s value in setting goals that push us beyond our comfort zone.
And as we wind down this calendar year and prepare for a new year, I’d encourage you to consider how high you can set the bar.
1 Caffeinated Neurohack
With each passing day, the scientific community reaffirms what most people already intrinsically know: There’s a clear and strong connection between mind and body.
One of the more interesting intersections of mind and body is the way in which posture impacts mindset.
In a now-famous TED Talk, social psychologist Amy Cuddy goes into great detail about a concept she calls “power posing.”
The basic gist of the talk is that standing in a powerful position can change your mindset and make you feel more capable or confident (even when you aren’t feeling capable or confident in the moment).
The basis for this phenomenon is rooted in the two primary systems that drive most human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors: avoidance and approach.
The avoidance system is often characterized by making yourself small (physically and cognitively).
Hunched shoulders, slouching, small strides…these are all signs of avoidance.
The approach system is characterized by standing up straight, chest out, and walking with purpose.
And while most people think of the approach system as a response to how we feel, Cuddy makes the point that we can short circuit the approach system by mimicking the physical characteristics of it (even when we don’t feel happy, optimistic, or confident).
Want to feel more confident before a meeting, webinar, or networking event?
Take a couple of minutes beforehand to straighten your posture, puff out your chest, raise your arms, and make yourself “big.”
It might feel a little strange the first couple of times you do it, but you’ll notice an impact on how you carry yourself after the fact.
Marketing Psychology Quick Hit
Earning the trust of a cold lead or brand new prospect can be difficult.
But there are some different techniques you can use to speed up the trust-building process and get on the same page.
And when it comes to a choice between two different policies or products, this is a great phrase to throw out there:
“You decide – I trust your judgement.”
When you say this to a prospect, you’re demonstrating a certain level of trust in the prospect. You’re basically telling them that you believe they’re competent enough to make the right choice.
In turn, this makes the prospect trust you even more.
The psychological phenomenon at play here is something known as the Pygmalion Effect – or the notion that positive reinforcement produces a positive behavioral response.
Rosenthal and Babad, the pair of researchers who coined the term, describe the effect like this: “When we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur.”
Takeaway:
Next time you’re meeting with a prospect and there are multiple options on the table, let them know that you trust them to make the right choice.
They’ll most likely reciprocate by trusting you a little more.
Do This First Thing Monday AM
If you’re like a lot of advisors I know, you sit down at your desk on Monday morning and make a big to-do list of things you need to get done that week.
To-do lists are great – and they can be catalytic in your ability to maximize productivity. But you can significantly increase the efficacy of your to-do lists by being as specific as possible.
One of the biggest problems I see with to-do lists is a lack of specificity.
Advisors often put objectives and goals on their lists, when they should really reserve this space for tasks.
What’s the difference?
An objective is a big-picture achievement or desired outcome – e.g. schedule 10 new appointments.
Tasks are action steps that help you reach the desired outcome – e.g. make 100 new connections on LinkedIn and send two emails to my list.
When you sit down at your desk tomorrow morning, I’d encourage you to develop a task-oriented to-do list.
Anytime you find yourself ready to write an item down on the list, ask yourself if there’s a way to break it down into more actionable steps.
It’s a small tweak that can produce significant gains.
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=> Click here to watch the replay before Monday
Take care,
Jeremiah
