A Momentum Maker

Momentum is defined as a “force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes” (Merriam-Webster 2017). Based on that definition, focus can be one heck of a momentum maker when you are in the zone and focusing on the most productive thoughts and actions! Focus, the ability to concentrate, is a force that allows productive things to continue, grow faster, and grow stronger over time—if you are focused on the right things to begin with. The opposite is also true. Without a focus on the right things, do you really have any positive momentum at all? Not a chance. You may have negative momentum, as evidenced by having the wrong things continuing and growing faster and stronger when you are focused on unproductive activities. But this is not the kind of momentum you need to become unstoppable. The lesson is simple: If you want more positive daily momentum, you will need to spend more time in the zone, focusing on the thoughts and actions most predictive of achieving your goals and becoming unstoppable.

Aspire for “Good Used Up”

Without question, when you are performing from within your zone and benefiting from momentum, you feel it: Time flies by, work is fun, you feel powerful and in control, energy and momentum are high, and at day's end you feel fulfilled. Equally certain is the fact that you feel it just as strongly when you are working outside of your zone: you are always playing catch-up, you play to maintain, you feel overwhelmed, and at the end of the day you wonder what exactly you accomplished.

One of my personal daily affirmations is to be “totally used up at the end of each day.” In other words, I want to give it my all, every single day and without exception. This is not just at work, but in every sphere of life: relationships, spiritually, mentally, all of it. But I have found that there are two types of being “used up”—a good used up and a bad used up.

With the “good used up” you are completely drained at day's end, but you still feel fulfilled because you know that you did what mattered, made a difference, stuck to your disciplines, stayed in attack mode, and planted seeds for a better tomorrow. At the end of the day you find a quiet place, kick back, reflect, and sip that 24-year-old bourbon, neat, relishing the day's progress and impact.

With the “bad used up,” you are still completely drained but you feel unsettled rather than fulfilled. You wonder what you accomplished, your mind is blurry, and you have regrets. And you can forget about the 24-year-old bourbon; you're tossing back the equivalent of moonshine trying to deaden the reality that in the past 24 hours you may have even taken a step backward, and are further from your dreams than when the day began.

It's About Effort

Boise State's Adam Hermann paints a poignant picture of the in-the-zone game changer who is destined to chalk up a win in the “good used up” column at day's end:

Game changers bring their best effort to work each and every day. How do we define effort? We define effort as enthusiasm, focus, finish, opportunity, resilient, and together.

Game changers bring a genuine enthusiasm to whatever it is they do, because they are excited about the opportunity to get better and to compete. A game changer has a laser focus that locks in on the task at hand (whether that is practice, film study, or a game) and helps others stay focused as well. Game changers finish everything they start. They view the act of finishing as a mindset and a way of life. They are finishers. They get stronger as the game goes on. Game changers are opportunistic. They take advantage of every opportunity to get better, and they see opportunities all around them. They know that if they take advantage of all those opportunities, then when the big opportunity of competition presents itself, they will be ready. Game changers are resilient. They have had to overcome trauma and adversity in their lives and they have bounced back from it. They embrace adversity, because they know they will grow stronger because of it. Finally, game changers bring people together. They solidify a team and help them go places they never thought they could because they are not afraid to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the team.

If you take the first letter from each of those characteristics—Enthusiasm, Focus, Finish, Opportunity, Resilient, Together—that gives you the definition of EFFORT. That is what being a game changer is all about (Adam Hermann, pers. comm.).

And I would add that is also what being in the zone is all about. In fact, this is why Chapter 6 on “The Wonder of WHY” precedes this chapter—experience has shown that the clearer you are about what matters most in your life and what you are fighting for each day, the less likely you are to take as many or as lengthy detours out of your zone pursuing what does not achieve that end.

Be More Impervious to Distractions

Coach Phil Beckner has intensively coached and trained the Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard for eight years. He continues to work with him over a two-week period in the summer off-seasons, both in Utah and in Boise, for two workouts a day (a skills workout and a shooting workout). On one occasion Beckner accompanied Lillard to train him each day during a 15-day Adidas tour covering Japan, China, and Paris. After working out for the first three days, on an early morning in the reserved gym, the Adidas rep from Japan asked Beckner if Lillard always worked out so hard. Beckner told him, “No. Usually he does two per day, but with other obligations on the trip we've narrowed it to just once” (Phil Beckner, pers. comm.).

Beckner describes how the unstoppable Lillard stayed in the zone on this trip around the world despite demands and distractions aplenty: “On day 11, we were going to fly from China to Paris, and Lillard asked, ‘What time are we working out?’”

To this, Beckner replied, “You need a day off. If you work out I'm going home.” Lillard conceded.

Beckner continues,

We leave China at midnight to fly to Paris (a 12-hour flight) and land at 7:30 AM in Paris. Dame takes two National Basketball Association (NBA) balls with him on the flight, and keeps them in the compartment above his seat. Upon landing, he opens the cabinet and asks, “When are we working out?” We went right to the hotel and then to the gym. He worked out, and had the best workout of the journey. He made 85 percent of his shots. He didn't want to rest or wait; he wanted to work. No one, and nothing, took him out of his zone the whole trip. And he was maintaining this hunger, drive, and unstoppable work ethic after he had already been a two-time NBA All-Star and Rookie of the Year (Phil Beckner, pers. comm.).

In addition, I can personally attest to Lillard's persistent hunger to become better, based on a one-hour phone conversation in which I explained to him the “stay hungry with a red belt mindset” concept I had presented in my book It's Not Rocket Science: Four Simple Strategies for Mastering the Art of Execution. Here it was, one evening in the off-season—when most guys are partying or lounging—and Lillard wanted insight and advice on how to stay even hungrier and more intense. I assure you, I learned more from him during that conversation than he learned from me. (I also discovered he raps with the same excellence and intensity he plays with, and recommend his album, The Letter O. I especially like “Loyal to the Soil.”)

Beware “Zone Busters”

It stands to reason that if peak performance requires that we be in the zone with a heightened state of focus, then we should endeavor daily—and throughout each day—to engage in what creates that focus and to avoid what destroys it. This increased awareness is a key trait that separates the occasional playmaker who is focused sometimes from the unstoppable game changer who brings the focus, energy, and enthusiasm day in and day out (the person who gets off track less often, and stays off track for lesser amounts of time). Following is an extensive sample list of “in the zone” mindsets and actions, as well as zone busters (mindsets and actions that lessen or destroy focus and temporarily take you or keep you out of your zone). Unstoppable people are not flawless, but they develop significantly far more awareness of the mindsets and actions that optimize performance, and invest daily effort to avoid those that inhibit or destroy it.

Fodder for Right Philosophy

In Chapter 5 when I presented the concept that your personal philosophy has the power to turn you into a victim, to make you unstoppable, or to put you somewhere in between, I suggested that if you want to change your results—and change your life—you would first need to change your philosophy. The preceding “in the zone” versus zone buster mindsets and actions offer a buffet of philosophies that you can choose to embrace discard as you endeavor to refine your own philosophy in a manner that enables unstoppable game changer status to dominate your personal life and work life.

Don't Take the Bait!

Perhaps one of the most common zone busters of those listed is the propensity of choosing to take offense at what someone else says or does.

Sadly, I have seen people arrive at work and complain about the “idiot that cut me off in traffic” from nine in the morning until lunchtime. I cannot help but wonder, if it is so easy to get inside that person's head, how he or she can possibly win at anything. I would relish competing against someone so mentally inept who would shift his or her limited and precious energy and focus into something so utterly meaningless in the overall scope of one's life, especially in relation to how minuscule a bearing it has on reaching one's potential. To exacerbate matters, we are living in an age of offenses. Fueled by the swelling stench of political correctness that has shaped the snowflake culture we live in, people have found it far too easy to take offense today, to become victims, and to depart from the zone they need to remain in to become unstoppable. Following is a mercifully brief snapshot of examples (some of which you may be able to relate to, but will, one hopes, outgrow by the time you have finished this book):

• You post a political comment on social media and are surprised when others disagree. You then enter a prolonged debate about who is right that devolves into name-calling and worse. At this point you are so far out of your zone that you are unlikely to find your way back that day or in the subsequent days, as your need to be right and have the last word trumps your need to be unstoppable.
• A server in a restaurant does not refill your tea fast enough, or at all, and you begin picking apart everything about the service, and disparage all you find substandard about the establishment overall.
• You post a photo on Facebook and get only three “likes.” Then you pout and continue to post even more photos until someone pays you the notice you feel is your due—which they don't. So then you sink into depression, and resolve to get even by not liking anyone else's photos.
• Someone talks too loudly, moves too slowly, drives too fast, does not say “please,” laughs at your tie, ignores your new hairdo, interrupts you, bumps into you, disses your football team, ignores your kids, gives someone else too much credit, gives you too little, is overpaid, and the march of misery continues ad infinitum—as does the time you spend out of your zone fretting about what often amounts to a load of garbage—absolute garbage. I mean, really, in the overall scope of your life and in relation to the bearing it has on you reaching your fullest potential as a human being, how much time, energy, and emotion will you continue to give to incidental nonsense that does not really matter?

I am not suggesting that you become a doormat; not in the least. But when you think about how much mental focus you are prone to give to what is mostly trivial, it is probably embarrassing. You are offended? So what? Nothing happens: nothing! Show me the bruises and blood. Did you go blind or lame? Did it maim you? No? Then, in the words of Larry Winget from the title of his 2004 book, Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life. And if you get damaged emotionally by someone's actions on social media, then stay off social media. If people like Bill Maher cause you distress, then stop watching Bill Maher. It frees you and focuses you on what matters most when you give up entering every debate, putting everyone in their place, and proving everyone else wrong. Want to be unstoppable? Renounce that nonsense, get back in your zone, shift into unstoppable game changer gear, and chase down those dreams. Unless the someone or something you are prone to take offense at is paying rent for the space it's consuming in your head, evict it and move on.

The 4 C's of in-the-Zone Performance

Jeff Janssen, of the renowned Janssen Sports Leadership Center, talks often about the 4 C's for effective performance, all of which are about being in the zone:

In our Leadership Academies, we talk all the time about the importance of the 4 C's for being an effective performer and Leader by Example. The “Best of the Best” learn and master the 4 C's: commitment, confidence, composure, and character.

Commitment: A person's commitment level has a huge impact on his or her success. We have created a tool called the Commitment Continuum, which outlines seven different levels of commitment that people can show toward a task, team, or cause. The seven levels are: resistant, reluctant, existent, compliant, committed, compelled, obsessed. The best performers realize that commitment is a choice, and they choose to consistently bring it at the committed or compelled levels. They invest themselves fully in whatever they do and seek to take others along with them.

Confidence: Successful people also have confidence in their abilities. This confidence is earned by diligently training and preparing at a committed or compelled level. Once this foundation is in place, confidence is then chosen by focusing on one's particular strengths, past successes, preparation, and praise given to them by others. We call these the four sources of confidence and encourage people to focus on them whenever they need to build their own confidence, or the confidence of a teammate. Despite adversity, failure, and critics, successful people overcome their fears, trust their training and preparation, and confidently take on challenges by developing and dwelling on their four sources of confidence.

Composure: Virtually anyone can succeed in low-pressure situations when there are few distractions and little is on the line. However, successful people perform at a high level under pressure. They produce consistent, high-level results under high-stress conditions. They know how to manage their emotions and stay calm, cool, and collected during crunch time. They do this by controlling the controllables: their attitude, effort, preparation, and so forth. They also focus intently on the present moment and on the positive things they want to do versus the negative things they want to avoid, and take care of the process that leads to the outcome they want. Their poise under pressure not only helps them be successful—it sends a positive ripple effect to the rest of the team that helps them stay calm and composed as well.

Character: Finally, successful people compete and represent their teams with character. They compete with class and refuse to cheat or take shortcuts. They know that sustainable success depends on their ability to consistently do the right thing, even when, and especially when, no one is watching. They aren't willing to sacrifice their integrity for hollow, short-term gains. Their definition of success transcends mere wins and losses; it also incorporates the kind of person they want to be, the impact they want to have, and the legacy they want to leave.

The 4 C's (commitment, confidence, composure, character) are what differentiate the best performers. They work in every arena, whether it is sports, school, business, or life (Jeff Janssen, pers. comm.).

Speaking of how right character keeps you in the zone, Allistair McCaw adds, “However, one of the greatest contributions from a high performer or champion athlete is their character. They are people you can rely on and count on, no matter what the score or situation. They are always accountable, trustworthy, and loyal to their teammates and coaches, as well as the team's standards and values” (Allistair McCaw, pers. comm.).

In summary, the zone is a temporary state of heightened focus that enables peak performance. To become an unstoppable game changer, your objective is to make that state less temporary, and to understand what puts you in the zone, as well as the zone busters that focus you on the wrong things and make peak performance impossible. And, most important, you get to choose how much time you will spend in and out of the zone each day. No one can exile you out of your zone. No one is blocking your path to get in, and no one and nothing can take you out unless you let it. You will take the bait from time to time. You will get distracted. You will major in minor things, let up, pursue the trivial rather than the essential, and have emergencies of the moment that break your focus for longer than they should. But you cannot let it happen very often, or for very long, if you are truly committed to becoming unstoppable.

Mission Unstoppable

To become an unstoppable game changer, consider and act on the following:

1. Which zone busters must you give up in order to go up to unstoppable game changer status? Review the list again and place a check mark by those you engage in too often. Become more aware of taking the bait, and measure your growth by your progress in taking it less often, and regrouping faster and returning to your zone after you depart.
2. Consider how much more effective you would be if you could spend 10, 20, 30 (or more) percent of your time in your zone with a heightened state of focus that enables peak performance. Where would you be today had you been more aware of this and made appropriate adjustments one, five, 10, 50 years ago? While you cannot go back and start over again from the beginning, you can start over now and make a new end—an end that results in having game changer status dominate your personal and professional life.

   Again, none of us will attain perfection, but the words of Vince Lombardi should encourage us to strive for it nonetheless:

3. Create more awareness for your team by conducting a meeting and diagramming on a whiteboard the “In the Zone” versus “Zone Busters” lists. Be sure to have team members participate.
4. Begin to consider now what you can do before you get to work (or on the way to work) that will put you in your zone before you arrive there. There is guidance on this discipline in Chapter 11.
5. Use additional and helpful resources to help yourself and others create game changer performance. Watch the DVD I created on the topic, How to Stay in Your Execution Zone, available at www.LearnToLead.com.