The Maximal Life

Mindfulness is the art and science of being present in the moment, of giving your full and undivided attention to the moment or the person before you. Cut out distractions, limit the hours the gadget at the end of our arm is ruling our focus. Creating healthy relationships with our phones and digital devices so that we can create healthy relationships with the people that matter most to us. This contributes significantly to the development of mindfulness or being present in the moment. This is a quality I have found to be a vital ingredient for creating the Maximal Achiever lifestyle.

Train your mind to be all there. Tweak your habits, make changes to ensure that you channel your energies in the most effective way possible. Avoid the phone and other gadget s. Nothing is more distressing than watching the person you’re speaking with flip out his phone and start staring at it while you’re still talking. listen intently, and then ask appropriate questions based not on your own opinion, but on what the other person just said. If your mind is colored by your personal biases, you will never fully appreciate and absorb the views of other people.

So, start practicing being present, being mindful today! Every conversation that you have, make it count. Do that and nothing will stop you from becoming an influential, inspiring leader, a Maximal Achiever leading a Maximal Life

We all find it exasperating to find the grocery store shelf empty. Store owners correct this situation by taking inventory to learn which shelves need replenishing. The same is true for us all. We need to take inventory to learn what needs replenishing in our lives.  

This simple inventory ritual is key to ensuring the success of your business. Without it, you wouldn’t know exactly what you have, and exactly what you need. Knowing everything you have lets you know where to best invest your money and energy.

 The most effective form of inventory is intentional searching and fearless self-reflection. Self-reflection provides us the opportunity to consider both our qualities and our faults. We all make mistakes. What sets us apart, is our ability to identify those mistakes impartially, as if we are taking inventory of shelves in a toy store. We do this without judgments, harsh self-criticism, or becoming defensive.

This personal inventory provides us with information and something to appreciate about about who we are being today, and identifies where we can make adjustments and improve who we want to become tomorrow.

 As  Maximal Achievers, we are charged with the responsibility to searchingly uncover and illuminate all aspects of ourselves. Dedicate this time to reflect upon where you are, where you are going, and what impact you are having on the world around you.

Some say their purpose is to accomplish a specific goal, or fulfill a particular dream. Defining your purpose doesn’t need to involve an existential awakening, or a profound shift in experience. Your purpose can change from day to day. Daily purpose is a fundamental component of living your Maximal Life.  

 There is NO purpose so small, that it can’t enrich your human experience, add years to your life, and bring success. The lesson here, is that purpose is a mindset. The good news is: You are always in control of your mindset. Studies have shown that people who had a strong sense of purpose live longer than those who didn’t. As Maximal Achievers, many of us spend a significant amount of our lives at work. We always have the power to infuse meaningful purpose into our workday.

Start connecting to your purpose by uplifting others. In the workplace, you can express gratitude to your team members. Gratitude is contagious and can uplift your entire company. In your family life, set the bar high for your family's culture, discuss each family members purpose. For young children or anyone who is still discovering their purpose, you can talk about their purpose of this year, or upcoming milestone. Let these moments of aligning with your purpose serve as a reminder that you are contributing to a greater good, that you are committed to build your Maximal Life around your highest purpose.

We all need to have Goals in our lives, professional and personal. The one important factor that determines whether you achieve your goals, is ritual. Simple, daily motions that slowly but consistently get you closer to where you want to be! It’s up to you to set yourself up for the win by building your own rituals! To put it simply, motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

 Goals will remain goals without positive action taken in the direction of achieving them. These positive actions are rituals you perform daily to inch you closer towards your goals over the long term. Real change happens every day, bit by bit.

 There are three keys to turning a ritual into a daily habit that works. First, Keep it Small, remember 5 minutes is still better than none at all. Second, Single Focus is key. Incorporate only one new ritual at a time. Third is the Sixty-six Days key. Research shows that on average, it takes about 66 days for any new ritual to turn into a habit.

True success, a higher life, better living, lies outside your comfort zone. Inch towards your goals one day at a time; one ritual at a time until they become your new normal; until a Maximal Life becomes your way  of life!

It’s a scientific fact that in the wake of stress and pressure, comes a wave of craving for comfort food. Comfort eating is a common reaction to stress. Stress hormones cause significant changes in our body chemistry. The stress hormones that naturally flood our systems when we have Grind Mind, were meant to keep us alive in true fight or flight situations. The effects of this flood could save our lives. However, triggering this flood every day, several times a day starts to wreak havoc within our bodies.

 As Maximal Achievers, we know that stress IS just a word, and the way we experience stress can be transformed from a threat into a challenge,by shifting our mindset. We listen to the reports of the body, and providing ourselves with the nutrition, rest, and recreation that gives us the Incremental edge.

 Responding to stress as a challenge rather than a threat, and fueling your body to meet your challenges requires a plan. Studies show the main reason people don’t like to make dietary changes is because they don’t want to feel deprived. This is a mindset, and Maximal Achievers are constantly upgrading their mindsets.focus on the positive habits you’ve already developed to support you in these high pressure times.

Keep it small, keep it doable, and never underestimate the accumulative effect of a small change for your Maximal Life.

In the past  decade, scientists have entirely abandoned many widely-accepted beliefs regarding the human mind. Now, thanks to advanced neuroimaging, it is possible to explore uncharted territory of the brain while it is functioning in real-time, and without invasive surgery.

It was once an accepted fact that by the time we reach adulthood, the fundamental neural structure of the brain was unchangeable. Limited teachings have been blasted out of the water by the recent discovery of neuroplasticity, which proves the brain is not fixed and is ever-adapting to our changing circumstances.

 As Maximal Achievers, we are aware of the truth of Emotional Contagion, and we set our standards high not only for ourselves, but for our life team as well. We  bring the fuel, and we set the pace with our energy. It occurs to me that joy is a birthright and can be implemented anywhere.

 Being a Maximal Achiever is a passionate endeavor. Everything from enjoying a meal, slaying a presentation, to tucking our children in bed at night, is an opportunity to stir our soul. Life is meaningful and miraculous.We can choose to be joyful amidst life’s inevitable variety of challenges. Joy is an attitude  Maximal Achievers carry with them regardless of the challenges they face.

Neural imaging shows that expressing gratitude instantly stimulates the part of the brain associated with happiness, contentment, and determination. So essentially, saying “Thank You” is more than just polite; it’s directly responsible for neurological enhancement. 

Taking a minute to reflect on the things you are grateful for today has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, renew your energy, and lighten your mood. Words inspire, enrich, and connect us. Having good manners, being polite, saying “Please” and “Thank You,” is a stepping stone toward becoming a dignified and respectable human being.

Connection is a Pharmacy of feel good hormones. How many supremely talented minds are walking out the door because no one knew how or when to say Thank You? When initiating meaningful connections with other people, we receive pure positive energy. And expressing appreciation to employees can increase productivity by 50 percent!  

The benefits and outcomes of saying Thank You, are ENORMOUS, and the turn-around is almost instant. Let the Attitude of Gratitude start with you, Say it to whoever does a kind act, anyone we see helping someone else, whoever helps us in any way; makes us laugh, brings us coffee, or holds the elevator. Just keep saying thank you and see what happens!

Our nervous systems are hardwired to let us know when we are experiencing something meaningful. We can feel a meaningful experience deep inside our bodies, as though we were an instrument that is being tuned. Sometimes we can plan for these experiences, by making time for vacations and celebrations. Sometimes they come out of nowhere, like being given a gift without an occasion. Whether these precious memories are planned, or spontaneous, they all have one main thing in common: They are being shared with others. Someone who you love. Someone who inspires you, or someone who makes you laugh, or makes you think. Memories are truly amongst the most profound of all human creation.

Maximal Achievers Invest in deep human connections. Explore the world with curiosity and enthusiasm. Get swept up in the glory of nature. Chase the most sensational sunset you’ve ever seen in your life, and feel your soul howl at a full moon set against a star-filled sky. Some of the simplest pleasures are the most rewarding. What you get in return, you can keep with you forever. Memories are like priceless heirlooms; they increase in value over time. This week, create an opportunity to have a memorable experience. resist cultural consumerism, and to continue to heed our higher instinct to create meaningful experiences.

Have you ever heard that old saying, “Choose your words wisely”? This phrase is typically used to warn a person of the impact their word choices can have on other people. However, the greater impact is on us. We speak to ourselves more than we speak to anyone else in the world. Our mind hears our words and it doesn’t matter if those words are negative or positive. Our minds will respond with the intention to bring our words into action.

You can be the champion of your own mind by carefully guarding your language from any negative self-talk. When a friend asks how business is coming along, you have a choice, whether you respond with all the reasons why it’s been difficult, or you can list all the things you feel good about and reinforce your passion for what you do. We don’t need to be perfect when practicing this technique. Progress is more important.

Make a list of the top ten words you most frequently use, and identify which of these words are not serving your Maximal Life. Then make a new list to replace those words with stronger more energetic, positive words. You will find these replacement words will make you feel more energetic, powerful, and passionate. When you feel these amazing feelings, you will do amazing things.

Our actions and life choices can and do impact health in a huge way. Our spiritual and emotional responses can bring about actual physical changes. Our susceptibility to stress varies and personality type, coping mechanisms, and social support in stressful times may also vary significantly. However, the negative impact of prolonged stress is almost universally noted; life events, stress, and illness are seen to be closely intertwined and numerous studies have supported this observation. There is a direct link between negative stress, the body's immune system, and the probability of contracting disease and infection.

One of the things I strongly believe is that “Connection is a Pharmacy.” There is much health to be found and enjoyed in our positive connections with others. look at your life team and you will see how your health and well-being are largely affected by the company you keep.

There is, of course, physical wellness that you can preserve and build upon. Create and maintain healthy eating habits, have a regular, effective and sustainable exercise program, and cut out unhealthy habits entirely. Make the right positive food choices for your body and your lifestyle and ensure that you do all you can to lower risk of disease, infirmity, and premature deterioration.

Take charge. Hold yourself accountable. And watch yourself reap the benefits of the treasure of good health and wellness.