What Is Your True North?

True North is a geographic term that represents how you would get to the north pole. It is different from magnetic north, which is what your compass will show you and varies depending on the earth’s magnetic movements. While magnetic north points us in the general direction, True North is an absolute end point.

In business/life terms, True North represents the place that you are absolutely committed to get to, no matter the obstacle in your path.  True North is your end game & your final measuring stick. Nothing else is acceptable.

Many of us have struggled in defining what our True North actually is – we think we know and attach things like a particular job or title, a house in a certain neighborhood, or a certain annual income.  But do these things really represent what your want your life to look like?

I would submit that these things can be a by-product of working toward your True North but they cannot be the end game. They are temporary and fleeting.  We have to go deeper than that within ourselves to find that passion, that drive, that focus for what we represent and what we really want to do with the amount of time we have here on this earth.

It sounds cliche , but our annual incomes won’t matter when we’re dead. We have to define what does matter to us and those we care about. Once we do, we no longer will struggle – we may meet some challenges along the way, but those will be enthusiastically met and overcome. We will be working on something we love with an enthusiasm most of us have never known.  If we are aligned, we are unstoppable.

So, what’s your True North?

What Economic Problems?

Forgive me, but I feel I need to take a stand…to vent a little.

 

This economic turmoil, recession, depression…whatever you want to call it…is officially OVER!

 

I’m declaring it and here’s how (and you can do the same thing):

 

I am shutting off all mass media unless absolutely necessary…and only then will I take it in small doses.

 

I am so fed up with the constant negative press, that the world economies are on the verge of collapse. Every “expert” has a different opinion and prediction. One says we are in huge trouble, the next says there is no sign of a recession. One says we are headed for a depression, the next says that we are just in a period of exceptionally slow growth.

 

These predictions are meaningless and mind-numbing. Warren Buffett, widely considered to be the greatest investor in history, makes mistakes. If you don’t believe me, read his annual letter to Berkshire shareholders. The S&P ratings downgrade of the U.S. government? Go back a few years and see what this same S&P thought about insurance giant AIG.

 

There is no doubt that there are economic challenges across the globe, but here’s the news flash: 

 

Even in “good” economic times, the same problems exist.

 

I believe the severity of any “downturn” we are experiencing is fed by the constant chatter on TV, in newspapers, on our Twitter feeds & the internet. It’s like gasoline being poured on a bed of hot coals. The flames keep getting higher and higher with no end in sight.  Being bombarded on a daily basis is having a direct impact on all of our psyches, and not in a good way. If you think you aren’t being affected by it, you are just plain wrong.

 

I’ve had enough.

 

My advice?

 

Go for a walk in the morning & listen to music instead of turning on the news.

 

Use your iPod during your daily commute to listen to a comedy podcast or sports show.

 

Pursue what you believe in…not what you are told you should believe in.

 

Do whatever you can to block out the junk and and replace it with good stuff. I’m convinced that human beings have not come close to reaching our potential. Imagine what the economic impact on our world would be if we let go of the worries & simply focused on being better & doing more. Isn’t that better than the alternative?

 

I’m declaring this economic downturn officially over. Who’s with me?

Training vs. Trusting

Some who may read this are not golf fans and that’s okay. If you stay with me, you’ll see that what I’m talking about can apply to your sales and business career too.

I spent a large portion of my weekend watching Rory McIlroy completely dominate the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Washington, DC. This 22-year old phenom from Northern Ireland played so well that he was drawing comparisons to some of the greatest performances in history, including those of Tiger Woods in his prime.

While those comparisons may be unfair at this stage in his young career, what truly amazed me about McIlroy’s performance was not so much what his scores were or how he led the field by a wide margin from the opening round. It was the natural way in which he plays the game. It was a joy to watch someone be so “in the moment” and trust himself so much that he could let his natural ability take over.

Now, I’m a golfer (or at least I try to be) and have spent a lot of time over the years working on the mechanics of my golf swing. And I’ve watched a lot of amateur and professional golfers over the past few years doing the same thing.

Keep in mind that practicing the fundamentals is critical for anyone that wants to improve. But where most of us fail is we don’t draw a distinction between practice and the real thing. A friend of mine used to say that you train yourself and your game on the practice tee. But when it comes time to play, you have to trust it. Train, then trust.

Not doing so takes the natural ability of each player out of the equation. We stand over the ball and think about the position of the golf club, the shoulder turn, setting the club in the right position, clearing the hips, releasing the hands and arms through the ball. All of these thoughts make it nearly impossible for us to focus on the target and use our natural ability to put the ball where we want it. We are still stuck in the training mind set.

The same thing happens to many of us in business and in sales. We spend so much of our time focused on the mechanics of our product or service that we can forget about letting our natural gifts and talents shine throughout the sales process.

We must commit ourselves to training & practice on a consistent basis to master the key fundamentals. But when it comes time to play the game, it would serve all of us well to trust our natural ability to hit the target.

If it worked for the 2011 U.S. Open Champion, it can certainly work for us.