It has been an amazing couple of weeks in the world of personal achievements.

I was in awe standing at North Head watching “Our Own” Aussie 16yr old Jessica Watson sail through Sydney Heads completing her solo sailing circumnavigation…well it brought me to tears. Then followed the American 13yr old who climbed Mt Everest. WOW!

Congrats to my fellow West Australian, Patrick Hollingworth who successfully climbed the Summit of Mt Everest last week. I received a SMS text message. “Shelley. Can you believe it. I climbed Mt Everest. From Your Hero Pat” Yes we can believe it! And you’re my hero Patrick for following your dream and never ever saying never! (Pat below with Sherpas Lakpa & Angkaji, at 8850m on the summit of Mount Everest.)

I’m always intrigued when I ask people to fill in the end of that sentence: “Life is a ….”
So last week I posted the question on facebook and was amazed at how many different answers came. (email me now courses@championmindset.com.au Shelley, here is my response to “Life is a …”)

Battle is one of the most common answers that pop up. B*&ch is another…
Then these ones.
..Game…
.. an adventure!
.. a pleasure, one after the other
.. box of chocolates
.. fantastic experience that should be enjoyed with the ones you love.
.. nice spot in the sun to warm up before the days mayhem
.. blessing and we are not here forever.
.. Marathon not a track meet
.. Rollercoaster!!!! - has its ups and downs but you need to jump on the ride and not sit on the sidelines watching life go by
.. “GIFT” and the gift will only be as wonderful as “YOU” make it!
.. ♫ “Highway”.. and im gonna ride it…♫
… precious miracle. We’re only given one chance, so live each day as if it’s your last. But remember, life will reward you with how much you put into it…
.. Cabaret old chum….!
.. Grand opening. Not a dress rehersal.
.. Game Day!
.. Minestrone

I choose to look at life like a game. It’s meant to ‘play’. You have heard me say many times in my presentations and workshops “thanks for playing it 100%”. Granted, I’d be lying to you if I said that it’s all ‘play’ and always ‘fun’.

Look I’m human too and I have ups and downs. Yes I do! As I’ve stated many times, I’ve failed more than I’ve succeeded in life and with my business too. Being my own boss I have had to fire myself a few times and learn new skills, adapt and grow. At the end of the day though, take all the ups and downs, and sum it up, it is a game…

And it’s a game to be WON! I know you can win. And know that it’s relative…

I meet and work with people who are already successful, who have achieved their millions and the ‘win’ for them is different than someone working to achieve their first goal, lose weight, get fit, swim a marathon, run a marathon, take that first step “admitting” they have a problem, stop procrastinating, get out of their comfort zone, follow their dream to launch their business ….

We’re all at different places in the game.

And in the course of the game, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, however we get to start over everyday and build on the next, learn from our mistakes…

You were built to win… Built to prosper… Built to achieve your birthright…SUCCESS!

Take small steps and just keep moving forward each and every day and in a year, you’ll shock yourself at how far you’ve come….

I admire Jessica Watson for her persistence and courage and willingness to learn…despite the setbacks she had in the beginning. Despite all the doubters, the nay-sayers. Today she is Australia’s hero with her simple message “Anything is possible. If you have a dream and you work hard you will achieve.”

I wonder, like you, what will be the next BIG thing for her…

Or Patrick - who swam to Rottnest earlier this year as a warm up for his Mt Everest Summit. He said he felt most ‘natural’ climbing mountains, where most others feel ‘unnatural’, however he dove in and went for it. He made mistakes in the past. He didn’t focus on his mistakes. He learned from them and said he would prepare himself the best possible way. He stayed focused on his bigger goals. And look what he did. He became the 3rd West Australian to climb Mt Everest. Not bad huh!

HINT- when your goals are bigger than your obstacles, it’s easy to stay the course.

2 unique people, with 2 different skill sets. I could list hundreds here…
However the one thing I see they have in common. They are willing to get in the game! Next, they are willing to make A LOT of mistakes while playing the game. They just keep playing.

I talk regularly to my coaching clients…well after they have let go of me, which for some is a struggle…
I mean I am a coach not a crutch! So speaking to one of them the other day about some set backs they’ve had in their business recently and they were discouraged… (yes, they are real people too that get discouraged and down sometimes). At the end of the day though, they minimized the setback and discouragement and focused on what they wanted…

So who didn’t fall off their first two-wheeler?

Which reminds me of my dear marathon swimming mate, James Kegley, telling the story about his son Jesse when he took off his training wheels (see picture below); “It is so much fun to watch him grow and ask to try new things…the training wheels came off after a friend rode by without them.”

We all learn a lot from each other… Get in the game… Play to win!
And when you lose sometimes, just keep getting BACK in the game!

>>> Oprah failed before success…
>>> Michael Jordan failed before success… (he was cut from his high-school basketball team)
….And the list goes on. You’re born to win!

Shelley’s Success Lesson for this Week:

1. Commit to Actually DOING Whatever It Takes — Then DO It…
Even if you think you can’t do something well the first time, try it anyway. Select one activity that looks as difficult as your first two-wheeler, and schedule a time this week to get on it.

2. What have you been putting off doing because you thought you couldn’t do it well?

3. Study Oprah, Michael Jordan or someone you admire who has succeeded after many setbacks Research. Read. Study them. Learn how they overcame … whether their mindset, motivation, mental toughness Learn their “playing the game” strategy and start applying it today so you too can win!!!

And if you’re still stuck falling off your two-wheeler… then consider giving me a call to discuss the Champion Mindset Motivation Coaching Program on
0414 594 245.

Now get on your bike ….get on with playing the game!
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

Overnight success or… Years of planning and Years of just doing it!

This weekend saw two Aussies achieve amazing feats!

Saturday it was 16yr old JESSICA WATSON’s inspirational 210-day round-the-world solo performance which saw her sail into the record books and into the hearts of every Australian!

Then MARK WEBBER last night became the first Australian to win the Monaco Grand Prix since the great Jack Brabham 51 years ago. He also claimed the formula one series lead from Jenson Button, who crashed out of the race early. It is the first time an Australian has led the championship since Alan Jones in 1981.

In his post race media conference Mark Webber said “this has been two (2) years in the planning! It didn’t just happen after the win last week in Barcelona. It didn’t happen in the past 2 days here at the Grand Prix. This win is a result of alot of planning, preparation, commitment and focus on the result. It has not finished yet. We have a lot more work to do.”

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Coach Darrel Royal

It is so easy to say, “That person is lucky.” or, “What an overnight success!” But nothing ever happens by luck. The secret is great preparation. When you are prepared, opportunity comes knocking on the door.

Both Jessica Watson & Mark Webber are two examples of…. just doing it!

People often ask me what the single most important tip for success is.

Here it is. Do more. It’s that simple. Your actions define you. Success comes to those of us prepared to take action. The willingness to take action is far more important than talent, as naturally talented people will tell you. Talent is never enough. Gutsy people get ahead. Things fall into place for them. Not everything works out exactly to plan, but they always win through. They’re irrepressible. They never stay down, for a minute. They just love to be up and running again.

Being gutsy, ballsy is open to all of us. There’s no secret that I’m about to reveal to you, or maybe there is.

It’s simple. These people take action, regardless of how they’re feeling. They don’t wait for a full moon. They don’t wait for a better time. They definitely don’t wait until they feel better about themselves, whatever that might mean. If this sounds a bit simplistic it’s because taking action, getting things done, achieving more is very straightforward. You do more, you get more, you have more, of whatever it is that you want.

The secret is, there is no secret.

When people come to me for coaching, they generally know what they want. I ask the same question of everyone, “What have you actually done about this so far?”. I’m not being critical. I’m being curious. The answer? For the vast majority of people, it’s “absolutely nothing”, or as good as. Very occasionally someone will say, “Everything. I’ve done everything. Nothing’s worked.”

I can work out a terrific Plan of Action with people. I can increase their confidence, inspire them, intensify their motivation, build them up, make them more powerful.

But I can’t make them jump, take the steps, make it happen. Only you can do that. It doesn’t even matter how confident you’re feeling. If you don’t do the necessary, what you know needs to be done, nothing will change. You certainly won’t make the gains that you could. Don’t make the mistake of thinking “if only I had more confidence, then I’d get things done.”

It doesn’t work like that. There’s no substitute for plain, old-fashioned action. Just getting on with it.
And 16 yr old Jessica Watson’s comment ”You’ve just got to have a dream … and work hard”, encapsulates it all.

Coach Shelley’s Call to Action:
1. What preparation do you need to do this week, to be ready for opportunities?

2. What are 3 action steps that you plan on doing…consistently… every day for success?

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: if you’re lacking confidence, not good at planning, suffer with procrastination, you’re a Gunna not a Doer, then check out the Champion Mindset coaching program, guaranteed to help you create the Mental Toughness, Motivation & Mindset to help you just do it!

PPS: Or call Shelley on 0414 594 245 and win a complimentary 15min “Pick Shelley’s Brain” session.
Limited to only 3 people. Call Shelley and say “Shelley I am sick and tired of being a Gunna…Please teach me how to be a DOER”.