THINK Like a BLACK BELT Workbook by Jim Bouchard –– THE SENSEI LEADER

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What YOU can expect from this session...and this workbook I can state with confidence that you’re likely to leave with more questions than you came here with. Don’t worry- they’ll be the right questions! My Masters usually taught with questions. At first, I thought they were wise guys. I’d ask a question- they’d respond with another one. Later I realized they were helping me access the most powerful learning tool available to me: my own mind! Your brain is wired to solve problems. The key is to input the right questions- the questions that lead you to your best solutions. Plenty of experts do sessions in which they offer you the solutions that worked for them. That’s OK- it’s nice to have options. The problem is that another person’s solutions may not always work for you. I don’t teach solutions- there are too many variables. I teach a mindset- a way of thinking. When you understand this mindset, you’ll be able to apply it to any challenge- any objective.

I only make one guarantee for anyone attending one of my events... If you pay attention, you’ll learn how to THINK Like a BLACK BELT. The rest is up to you!

Contents Black Belt

PERFECTION

Discipline

Focus

Power

Mastery

LEADERSHIP

Success

Black Belt... When you hear or see the words “Black Belt,” what words come to your mind?

“Perfection is not a destination... ...it’s a never-ending process.” Black Belt Mindset is about transformation and change. Change is the only true constant in life. Change happens whether you want to embrace it or not. In the first part of my THINK Like a BLACK BELT keynote I share my personal story. This is the story of how I transformed my life from that of a suicidal drug abuser to Black Belt- then later to entrepreneur, author and speaker teaching people how to think like one. When I decided to change my life I was staring at a battered and beaten young man in my bathroom mirror...me. I did it to myself- I had nobody to blame but myself. The important thing is that on one particular morning I stood in front of my mirror and I decided to change. What’s this got to do with you? What’s this got to do with business?

You have something you want to change. You have a mirror. Let’s get started...

Change is not just for the desperate! Change is life- and life is change. You don’t have to be down and out. The most successful people in the world embrace the constant process of change- the process of self-perfection. You may trying to go from worst to first, or from good to great. If you’re on top, continual change, innovation and adaptation is how you’re going to stay there. What do you want to change? In what areas of life and/or business do you want to improve? This table is for you. What do you want to change? In what areas do you want to improve personally and professionally? Borrowing from Stephen Covey’s First Things First, rate each item as URGENT, IMPORTANT, or both. Use a scale from 1 to 10 to indicate urgency and importance... I need to change...

Urgent

Important

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing this session to improve your business, complete the table again indicating what you think needs changing in your organization... I need to change...

Urgent

Notes:

Important

Discipline... The continual development and practice of meaningful and purposeful habits. Do you consider yourself to be a disciplined person? YES NO If NO...why not?

First let’s identify your current habits or routines- you’ve got ‘em, and let’s see if they’re productive or destructive. For frequency indicate whether this is something you do daily, weekly, monthly, etc... Habit or Routine

Frequency

“Everyone is disciplined at something. It just may not be what’s going to get you where you want to go!” What do you really enjoy doing and do on a regular basis? What is that one thing on your schedule you hold sacred? What do you like to practice? We are usually more inclined to discipline when we enjoy doing something- or when we see that activity as worthwhile...when it’s satisfying materially, emotionally and/or spiritually. The more satisfaction we enjoy from that discipline or habit, the more likely we are to stick to it. List some of the things you enjoy doing on a regular basis. This can be related to professional goals or can be hobbies, arts, sports or anything else you enjoy and devote regular time to. What level of satisfaction do you get from it? For each activity, rate each category on a scale from 1 to 10... Activity/Discipline

Material

Emotional

Spiritual

On this table, list any activities you just don’t like doing (or that you’re just kind of neutral about)- but you know they’re going to help you get you where you want to go! Once again, rate each one for material, emotional and spiritual benefit... ...but this time try to leave “enjoyment” out of the equation. How does each of these activities or disciplines affect your larger goals and objectives? Activity/Discipline

Material

Emotional

Spiritual

“Every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~Lao Tzu “The rest of the journey is a whole lot of single steps.” ~Jim How do you measure success? I can tell you without reservation that frustration is the well from which all wisdom springs. It is. That doesn’t make life- or practice any easier! The human psyche responds best to rewards. We naturally seek pleasure over pain. Sometimes you’ve got to create your own rewards. You do this by rewarding yourself for accomplishing short-term practice objectives...what I call “action steps.” Lao Tzu said a long time ago that any journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The rest of the story is that the rest of the journey is made of a lot of single steps! Enjoy the journey! Set a short term practice objective and give yourself a reward for completing it. The reward will help reinforce both the short and long term benefits of completing the smaller step- even when the greater rewards are still a dot on the horizon. I was recently working with an agent who was very frustrated about falling short of her sales goals. Let’s call her Beth... Beth’s big goal was to close two sales for the week. She’d had a record week a couple of months back and really enjoyed the feeling of success that came from that. She could see no reason why she shouldn’t be creating that success every week. When we analyzed her week, we found that while she had not closed any sales, she had moved several prospects much closer, the timing was just not right for a final decision yet.

The typical cycle in Beth’s business is a year from initial contact to close. It’s pure luck when she can close any sale any faster. We then took a look at her record week. As I suspected, she had initiated the sales she closed that week about a year before- and sometimes even longer. Without this type of self-analysis, it’s easy to get discouraged. Obsession with the ultimate prize and it can make it seem as if the day to day grind...the practice, the discipline- is just not paying off. Beth’s understandable response was to question what she was doing every day. She started to cut back on fundamental tasks- disciplines. She was ready to stop practicing what we soon identified as the very steps that led to her past successes. The answer was to keep on walking the walk! There is an element of trust in that you have to believe that over time, the discipline and practice you put in will produce the greater results you’re looking for. No great success comes without consistent effort, practice and discipline. It’s bad enough that others may do it to you- or that as a manger you may do this to other people- but do not punish yourself every time you fall short of goals. Make sure you recognize meaningful effort and acknowledge the small steps that result in greater achievement. Obviously the big symbolic pay-off in martial arts is the Black Belt. Along the way there are several belt rank levels. These levels provide recognition, reinforcement and a sense of progress toward the ultimate goal. Earning a purple belt is does not mean you fell short of Black Belt; it means you took one more step closer to your ultimate goal! We establish clear expectations at each level and recognize each individual as they meet those expectations. Each small step becomes a reward in itself.

“The problem with big goals is... ...they’re big!” The most fundamental characteristic of a disciplined person is that you get things done. Disciplined people break down big goals and objectives into a series of actionable steps. Determine what you can accomplish here and now given the resources you have here and now. Take one big goal. Do you have the material, emotional and spiritual resources to achieve that goal right here and right now? In each area, simply answer yes or no... Big Goal

Material

Emotional

Spiritual

Now break this big goal into a series of actionable steps. Indicate whether you have the material, emotional and spiritual resources to take action on each step... ...right here and right now! Action Step

Material

Emotional

Spiritual

Focus... How focused are you? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10:

“You can’t force focus. Focus is a process of ‘letting go.’ You need to let go of the distractions that are holding you back.” In time alone, it takes the average person 20 minutes to get back on task after a distraction. On a larger scale, distractions erode your confidence, deter you from your vision of success and happiness and at their worst can become self-destructive habits. What are the distractions in your life? Rate them from minor to major on a scale of 1 to 10... Tangible Distractions Actual physical and environmental distractions

Impact Scale

Intangible Distractions Emotional and spiritual distractions- Emotional stress, relationship issues, beliefs, doubts, fears, etc...

Impact Scale

Power... “Power is your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively.” The source of human Power comes from Body, Mind and Spirit. What are you doing to take care of yourself and nourish each of these sources? Body Mind Spirit To complete this exercise, pick an area in which you feel effective- powerful, or an area in which you’d like to become more effective and powerful. You generate Power through Motivation and Discipline over Time. You apply Power efficiently and effectively through Balance, Focus and Timing. Here or in your Journal pages, answer the following questions: • MOTIVATION: Why do you do what you do? What inspired you to take this action?

• DISCIPLINE: What purposeful and meaningful habits are you developing and applying to this mission?

• TIME: How much time do you commit to this effort? Think short term as in scheduling and long-term as in when you plan to achieve your mission.

• BALANCE: How does this fit into your overall vision of success and happiness? How does it compliment and support other areas of your life materially, emotionally and spiritually? Which area needs the most attention right here and right now?

• FOCUS: What distractions can you mitigate or eliminate to help you reach your objective in this area? What’s holding you back or slowing you down? (You can use the Focus worksheet for this part of the exercise.)

• TIMING: Is the time right? How do you know? Is there a better time for this action? Support your answer.

Mastery... The mind of the Master is really “Beginner’s Mind.” Complete this table by answering this simple question for each area listed:

What are you doing to improve your Self? Take your time- this question is simple; it may not be easy! What are you doing to improve your Self? Self-Perfection Motivation Discipline Focus Confidence Power Perseverance Mastery Leadership Courage Compassion Wisdom Respect Service Health Success

Leadership... The highest expression of Mastery is Leadership. However... ...titles and certificates do not make you an authentic leader. True leadership is recognized, not conferred. And- true leadership exists at all levels of an organization or a community. There is a vast difference between leading and pushing. Dictators push. Dictators command by fear, force and coercion. Genuine leadership is defined by your ability to attract willing followers. Unfortunately, leadership is too often confused with title, authority, management and ownership.

Answer the following questions. Use the Journal pages if you need more space... Do you â&#x20AC;&#x153;lead by example?â&#x20AC;? If so- give some examples:

What are you doing to attract willing followers?

The 3 Black Belt Mindset Traits of an effective leader are Courage, Compassion and Wisdom. Share a personal example of your expression of each of these traits and an example of when you have not lived up to these ideals: • Courage:

• Compassion:

• Wisdom:

Success... After all, isn’t this what we’re looking for? There is an end game- an ultimate prize: success. There are, however, two major challenges when it comes to success: 1) It’s really just a feeling 2) It’s not a static condition I can and will define success for you. I know the natural argument- how can I possibly define success for someone else? Success is, after all, subjective. Success for one person may not mean success to another. What a cop-out! This is nothing more than an excuse some people use to justify mediocrity, complacency and even laziness. I argue that success is not subjective; we can apply specific parameters that make it possible to recognize and attain success.

Success is a feeling and feelings are by definition subjective. This explains why two people with the same material wealth can feel radically different about their current conditions. If you’re hitting all your goals, you probably feel wealthy and successful. If you’re falling short of expectations, no matter how much you have, it may not be enough. The good news is that while feelings and emotions are difficult if not impossible to control- you can always control your response and your response can in turn alter and shape your success. In THINK Like a BLACK BELT I wrote: “I won’t pretend to define anyone’s individual success, but I do know that to feel successful and happy you need to have a sense of abundance, or a feeling of having “enough” in three key areas of life: material, emotional and spiritual. How much is enough in each area is completely up to you.” That’s it.

Success is the feeling that you have “enough.” How much is enough is completely up to you. When you have “enough” in all three of these areas you feel content, happy and successful. When you don’t, you’re living in poverty.

Take some time- from time to time, and do an inventory. Take stock of the material, emotional and spiritual resources you have right now. If you’re deficient in one or more areas, that’s where you should focus your efforts. Life is always changing, but a relative dynamic balance between these major areas of life will give you an overall sense of success, enjoyment, happiness and- wealth. Ultimately- that’s what you share with others!

Define your own success. Complete the following tables for each area of your life:

Material... What is “enough” for right now?

What do I want in 5 years?

How close am I?

Emotional... What is “enough” for right now?

What do I want in 5 years?

How close am I?

Spiritual... What is “enough” for right now?

What do I want in 5 years?

How close am I?

Journal...