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"A" Words That Define Successful People

Today we continue a series of blog post I have been writing using the alphabet to define successful people. These words often are mentioned when we look at successful, well rounded people that we know.  Not just your run of the mill person, but people that stand out from the crowd.  Amazing people that set themselves apart from others at work, in sports and in life.  Have you ever met a person that just attracts talented people and lights up a room when they walk in? You may be that person or certainly have the potential to be that person as well.  As I tell my students and athletes weekly, life is what you make of it and you will get out of what you put into it.  In my career I have coached with peers that met many or all of these characteristics.  I have been fortunate to coach a few guys also that had most of these traits and they went on to play high level sports, own businesses and make huge differences in their community.  I encourage you to find you letter of success.  You ask,

EIGHT PRACTICES OF SUCCESSFUL LEADERS AND COACHES

Today we are continuing the series on successful coaching, leading and mentoring of people.  Being successful as a leader, mentor, father, mother, coach, teacher, pastor, business owner or whatever your title is requires a skill set that is constantly developed as you become the best you can.  As I look back at my career as a teacher and coach and as a business professional I am grateful for the people I was blessed to work with that had these qualities.  They were successful at what they did and were so consistent with the habits they had to remain on top of their game.  I have tried to be the best leader I can and at times sure I failed at one or two of these qualities somewhere in the process.  The key is knowing where you are, where you want to be and how you will get there.   You don't have to be a leader to maximize some or all of these qualities.  I have worked with front line teachers, sales people and other peers that exhibited many of these traits.  They may not have want

Four Things Great Coaches and Leaders Have In Common

Coaches hold the key to make or break a teams success. Coaches that have poor interpersonal skills, have huge egos, don't care about their student athletes and just use power to bully their way with the athletes put a sour taste in the mouths of the players. On the flip side, a great coach inspires, motivates, leads, guides, teaches and mentors his or her players.  They can inspire a love of the game and a life long relationship with the players they impact.  There are plenty of good sports coaches out there that keep the season humming along, but it’s those great sports coaches that kids (and parents) will remember and love forever. Here are four things those great sports coaches have in common that make student/athletes want to play for them. 1- They love to teach: A great coach loves to teach the sport and does so with passion.  They use the game and its learning to teach life skills, build relationships and build the skills of each individual athlete.  They inspire the players

Professional Growth and Career Direction

Creating awareness of your current professional career growth and direction begins with knowing your own routines, habits and results.  We go to work and before you know it the day has come and gone with the results we may not have desired or planned for once the morning started.  There is only a set amount of time in a work day that we can devote to getting work done, doing our jobs and getting the results that both we and the company desire.  Finding ways to become more productive both at work and in your personal life will benefit you and make you more productive at both.  Thinking back to some of the things you have learned through the years from parents, teachers, coaches, mentors, leaders and friends that you once did is a good way to see where you currently stand.   Have you changed, backed off of how you used to be, are you as driven, have your priorities aligned differently now from where they once were.  These things can get in the way and many times it is a new habit we have

Going Camping- Five Reasons to Spend Time In Nature This Spring/Summer/Fall

I love to go camping in the North Carolina mountains with my family.  My old roommate from college and I used to go every summer in June for a weekend of camping, trout fishing, grilling good food and chilling out with a few cold ones in hand.  Camping is not for everyone and there are different ideas of camping according to who you ask.  My version of camping is a tent, some food, some fire wood, what supplies you need and go find a nice spot on a rushing creek (helps you sleep so good at night) set up and enjoy a few days and nights in the woods getting back to nature.  I have a favorite little spot called Mortimer campground.   It is open only during the spring and fall seasons in the NC mountains on the Wilson Creek Gorge.  If you are ever in NC go see that place it is awesome and has some really good water, great pictures, swimming and fishing. My wife and I plan a trip out west this summer to go enjoy nature and see some mountain parks, rivers, animals and whatever else gets thro

Showing Empathy During a Tough Conversation Builds Bridges

Today I am talking about having a tough conversation with people and how being empathetic and showing you respect and care about what they are saying goes a long ways to building a bridge that can help you gain some type of agreement.  That agreement may be to agree, disagree or table the topic but using these little techniques will make you a better listener, talker and communicator when having tough conversations.  We face those in life with family, friends, co-workers and at times even strangers.  Knowing how to handle these situations with a calm heart and cool head are the key to getting some results from all that drama.   As a high school teacher and coach, I see this all the time with what I call "teenage drama".  I work with my kids on social skills, communication, manners and learning peer pressure to avoidance to just walk away.  I tell them did you physically hear it, see it or touch it.  If not then avoid it and walk away.  Most drama gets started by another perso

20 Emergency Preparation Kit Items for Survival In an Emergency or Disaster

Today we are talking about items that you need to have stocked in an emergency preparation and travel kit in case of a natural disaster, loss of power or who knows what with the current state of things.  After doing research on this I realized I had most of these items around the house or in the vehicles.  These are pretty basic items that you can buy at any store, even maybe a dollar tree store for lots of them.  Being prepared for emergencies, natural disasters and other events we do not know are coming is something you need to do to make sure you and those with you are ok.  Going out the day before a predicted wind storm, hurricane or other event creates stress and the items you may need will be gone or very high priced.    Take a look at this list and add/subtract what you want from it and prepare now. Tuck these things away in a bag, box or the garage and have them ready to go.  Some of these things need to be in your car at all times as a precaution just incase you break down or