Dear Success Seeker,

Do you have the ability to achieve more than you are today? Of course, the answer is 'yes' for every human being. Then where is the problem? What is limiting your success and how do you unleash more of your capacity?

Let's start by getting clear about where the problem lies. You CAN do more and yet you are not. That means the issue is not one of capability. You have the ability. Your challenge is how to access and unleash the potential you already have. What you need to do is improve your level of performance.

This is truly the secret to great achievement. There are some people out there who have tremendous levels of brain power and natural talent. But the vast majority of people who become highly successful are quite ordinary when it comes to their ability. I'm sure you have met people who are far less intelligent than you yet they have achieved significant more success than you. What makes them extraordinary is the extent to which they are able to utilize and maximize the potential they have; their performance level is higher than yours.

Suppose you were to perform closer to your capacity instead of being ordinary. If you get paid based on results, then performing at a higher level will significantly improve both your income and quality of life.

How do you unleash this latent potential? A great place to look for the answer is in the area of sports where performance athletes often earn recognition, fame and massive financial rewards based on a difference of less than 100th of a second. Accessing their full potential is essential to these athletes. So how do they do it?

Have you ever known a child that grew up to compete at a high level in any sport? If so, reflect back on their journey. When they were young they participated in their sport for fun and things were quite loose and flexible. As they got older and started competing, performing at their best became more important. At that point what happened to their routine? The details vary between sports but the dynamic does not. As they progressed their teams and coaches put more and more structure into their lives. More practices. More drills. More exercises and workouts. More attention to their nutrition, sleep and external activities. Clinics on mental conditioning. As they rose towards world-class levels everything became more structured, measured and precise. Professional athletes operate in a highly structured environment focused on just one priority; delivering their best performance on event day.

Contrast this with how you operate in your self-employed business. When you started you had a vision of being rich and successful. But what has happened to your performance since? Chances are that you don't even come close to reaching your potential. In fact what you love about your business is that you get to do what you want, when you want, the way you want. This may provide an enjoyable lifestyle but it does not lead to business success!

There are two major differences between your situation and that of the athlete. The first is structure. The elite athlete has a detailed plan and executes it diligently. Everything is tracked and measured. Every step is intentional. This leads to optimal performance.

The second difference is that the performance athlete is surrounded with others who are playing at a high level. Your environment may allow you to put in a half-hearted effort, knock off early or eat junk food but none of these are acceptable in the world of high-level athletes. This 'environment of performance' is essential for peak performance.

Having the right structure and being in an environment of performance fosters the motivation and discipline necessary to perform at a high level. This is what it takes to reach your full potential!

This, by the way, is my secret to success both personally and with my coaching clients. When I first started coaching full time in 1994 I had no structure and the people I hung out with were underperforming. My business struggled for several years before I discovered the secret of using structure and environment. As soon as I put these in place my business took off. That inspired me to create a company that provides self-employed business owners, investors and those working in commission with the structure, support and community they need to achieve tremendous results.

Just like kids need boundaries and a healthy peer group to succeed, those of us who are self-employed need these things too. Go beyond goal setting and make a detailed plan to achieve the level of success you want. Then create a structure and environment that supports you to unleash your full potential.

Your Coach,

Andrew Barber-Starkey, Master Certified Coach
Founder and President, ProCoach Success System