I was having a conversation with a fellow Performance Coach yesterday about the importance of winning behaviours and the impact it has on team performance in business and sports.

The major different is that in sport your every move is there to be seen by all, especially at the highest level and even more so in individual or smaller team sports.

However, many times in an organisation people can go missing and their below par performances are harder to detect.

UNLESS you have a strict criteria of what you expect from your people AND what you expect from yourself.

Do you know what behaviours of yours are contributing to your best results?

Do you know your winning behaviours and your losing behaviours?

Do you focus on them daily to make sure you are on the right side of the scale?

If not then you cannot expect to deliver consistently high performance and that is what we all want isn’t it?

I’m sure you would like to feel great every day wouldn’t you?

Do you know what behaviours and actions of yours make you feel great? And have you got a system for recording how often you do them?

I hope so.

I am reminded of the quote “what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get done”.

The truth is that most people avoid confronting these issues because it can be uncomfortable to face areas that we are under-performing in. But if you don’t measure and face up to the facts, how can you ever expect to improve?

So make sure you have a system in place for managing your performance on a daily basis.

This is especially important for business owners or people who control much of their own planning and time management. In fact, this is essential for any area of your life that you want to improve in.

Remember that the best performers give the most attention to the smallest details where as the under-achievers skim over them and think somehow that great performance will just happen because they want it to.

Which category are you going to fall into?

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Motivational Keynote Speaker and Peak Performance Psychologist based in the UK.

If you enjoyed this article then I am sure you willl just love the methods in my book, check it out here and get yourself OPTIMIZED.

I was at a business meeting today. One of the philosophies at the organisation is to give unconditionally. Those that do, naturally receive more in return.

It is the law of giving. An old law.

Here is a Chinese proverb that echoes this sentiment:

If you want happiness for an hour; take a nap.   If you want happiness for a day; go fishing.   If you want happiness for a month; get married.   If you want happiness for a year; inherit a fortune.   If you want happiness for a lifetime; help someone else.

As part of a 100 day challenge I entered with a group who attended an event of mine in January, I committed to practising random acts of kindness.

I have to say I fully agree with the law of giving, not with the intent on receiving anything in return – just giving unconditionally.

That means to not expect anything back. Counter intuitively when you do this, you in fact receive more back in return. I have found this to be true during my time practising this fantastic ancient principle.

What about you?

When was the last time you helped someone or paid a compliment or committed an act of kindness for no reason?

Not only will the World be a much happier place as a result but you will also as studies show that one of our human needs is to indeed help people and there is no better way than doing it without expecting anything in return and to people you don’t necessarily know that well.

Try it! You will be surprised about how good it makes you feel.

Plus, you will personally benefit as you will start to reap the rewards yourself. BUT only if you do so without expecting anything in return. That is the key.

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Performance Coach, Motivational Speaker and Sports Psychologist based in the UK.

If you enjoyed this article then I am sure you will love the lessons and concepts in my book from some of the greatest achievers in history, check it out here and please help me to spread inspiration around the nation

I have had a lot of experience when it comes to giving and receiving advice, however my approach changed when I attended my first professional coach training. Four years later and I am still practising the lessons I learnt all the way back in 2007.

Naturally we all like to give advice. We want to be helpful. The question is;

Is your advice helping or hindering?

Most of the time it is probably hindering. It’s not that your advice is bad advice or wrong advice. It is just that the other person has not asked for it.

If you are a parent, a teacher, a coach, a boss or a manager then this article will be most useful to you. If you are none of those things then this article will be just as useful if you want to build great relationships.

When it comes to the people closest to you – mainly family and close friends – holding back on giving advice can be a real challenge. Especially when the people you are advising really could do with listening to you.

However, most of the time your advice is just a hindrance if it has not been requested. This is particularly difficult for parents to master, but one in which will do more for helping you direct your children in the right direction more than any other.

The psychology behind giving somebody advice is (in a subtle way) saying that you are superior to them AND nobody likes that.

It is not the advice itself, it is in the way you present it that makes the difference.

When you just blurt the advice out, particularly in a forceful manner and often begin the conversation by criticising somebody – you are on a fast track to relationship failure.

I know this from personal experience. Lots of it. I have got a lot better at it though and so can you.

Here is one simple method you can use right away;

First ask somebody how they are doing. Show that you care.

If you sense that they may need some support or help, be quick to identify something they are doing well. Praise them. Never criticise. People respond when you make them feel good about themselves.

Then say “can I offer you a suggestion”?

And in a gentle (the opposite of “I’m right.. You’re wrong”) way, offer your wisdom.

Then it is up to them to either take it on board or ignore it. That is their right. Even if they are your children and they are under 18.

The reason you are giving advice in the first place is to help them. Therefore, wouldn’t it be more useful if you did this in a way which actually helps them rather than hindering them.

And don’t beat yourself up if you find it difficult to master at first. It has taken me a long time and I am still working on it. Most of us have experienced a lot of criticism in our lives and for many it is a natural tendency to repeat this in our own relationships. The problem here is that this sort of behaviour erodes relationships – and sometimes sadly beyond repair.

Start today and watch your relationships dramatically improve with these small shifts.

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Motivational Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Performance Coach based in the UK.

If you enjoyed this article then I am sure you will enjoy the many more strategies in my book to help you on the path to becoming the best you can possibly be.

I was working with some youths this week who are out of work. The main focus of the training was around taking responsibility (response-ability) for their situation.

There can often be confusion around this statement of taking 100% responsibility for your life.

It does not mean that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life or what happens to you – it just means that you are responsible for how you respond to the event.

Event + Response = Outcome.

Not happy with something? Change it or change how you feel about it.

I talk about this in my book and call this principle Optimal Response. It is not the events in your life that define you or your success – more so it is your responses and decisions about how you react.

The youths got this principle and took responsibility. As a result they took back control of their situations and this can be incredibly empowering. To know that your destiny and your future is decided by your own decisions and responses.

Are you in control of yours?

Think about the top 3 areas of your life where you need to respond better and set yourself a goal in the next week to take at least one inspiring action for each.

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Motivational Speaker, Performance Coach and Author based in the UK.

If you enjoyed this blog then please share it with your friends and also check out my book – I am sure you will enjoy it as much as the others have

There is a famous formula in the World of sports psychology, it is this;

Performance = Potential – Interference

What can you learn from this?

The formula states that you perform better when you have less interference going on.

Now this formula is referring to the interferences of your mind. Things such as fear, doubt, worry, analysing, lack of confidence, asking negative questions, making assumptions.

Most of these interferences are based in the past or the future. In the moment you actually have no control over them. They are either done with and you learn from them or they have not even happened yet and you have an opportunity to change them.

In terms of staying positive, many experts are quick to recommend lots of methods you can try like positive self talk, visualisation, meditation, focusing on the positive possibilities and solutions which are all great ways of redirecting your focus in a positive direction.

However, there is another very effective way of improving your performance which you can learn from the above formula.

You can also reduce the interferences and stop doing the things that do not help.

Improving your performance doesn’t always require that you start doing something new. It can just require you to STOP doing what is not working.

What are you doing at the moment that is not working?

Too much thinking and analysing?

Trying to work out the “perfect” solution (that doesn’t exist)?

Delaying taking the first step and then putting it off and off?

Convincing yourself it is not that important so you don’t need to face it?

You can address this by writing down a “STOP” list. That is a list of all the things you are doing that are currently harming your performance and one by one, knock them off the list like an artist sculpting a masterpiece.

In fact, this is just how the great artist Pablo Picasso created his amazing sculptures. He would take a piece of rock and then chip away all the pieces he did not want until he was left with a masterpiece. He would visualise what he wanted to create and then start by chipping away everything that was not part of the picture in his mind.

What can you chip off that isn’t part of your picture?

Start today.

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Motivational Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Performance Coach based in Manchester, UK.

Did you enjoy this article? If so then you will just love my book. Check it out here and the 5 star reviews it’s received. Go on, take your life to the highest level possible

Some people have it. Some don’t.

Is motivation something that only belongs to certain people?

Or do we all have it?

And if we do, how do we get it?

To get straight to the point, you need to have the right goal. That is the first step. Having something to aim for that triggers motivation. You cannot be motivated without something to aim for. And something exciting too.

BUT I have found there is one challenge many people face and maybe you are facing this too.

You are not sure what it is that you want. Many people are not.

I wasn’t for a long time. I didn’t know what I wanted.

Life is a discovery. But many people don’t take the time to discover.

When I grew up, some people around me knew exactly what they wanted. They were very clear about that and that made me a little envious but more importantly CURIOUS.

Some people have an idea of what they want but are not entirely sure.

And some people haven’t got a clue and they never really take the time to find out.

It doesn’t matter where you are on this scale of knowing exactly what you want all the way down to not having a clue, as long as you have the curiosity to find out.

This is a goal in itself. A very big and important goal. Probably the most important goal you could ever have. To find out what it is you really, really want.

What gave me the curiosity was the contrast in people’s lives. The difference between being happy and miserable, the difference in the energy people gave off – or didn’t give off. You can notice it a mile off.

Think of somebody you know who is loving life. Think of how they make you feel when you are around them.

Now think of somebody you know who is miserable. Somebody who is a drag to be around.

Big difference right?

HUGE.

It is our own response-ability to discover our desires for ourselves.

And you can only do this by giving it some dedicated thought.

What do you enjoy doing? Think of 3 times in your life where you have been the happiest. What were the key factors? Who were you with? What were you doing? Where were you?

Look at what others are doing, what motivates them? Does it interest you? If it does, ask them about it or read a book about that subject or surf the internet for more information.

What are you strengths? What are you good at? If you are not sure, ask the people closest to you for some feedback.

Use this information to discover more about what makes you tick.

This will move you much closer to where you want to be.

Or you could carry on wandering through life while a small percentage really LIVE it.

Your choice.

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Motivational Keynote Speaker, Performance Psychologist and Author based in the UK.

Did you enjoy this article? If so then please have a look at my book, it’s full of great methods for being the best you can be. It would make a great gift for yourself or for a friend in need of some inspiration.

The one thing that is most common in holding people back in life is doubt.

Doubt is a form of negative thinking. These negative thoughts stem from past experiences of your own or others you know of, from your analytical brain trying to predict the future and your own belief system.

Doubt is a form of fear and as I have explained in a previous post, FEAR is an acronym for False Expectations Appearing Real.

We all face doubt every day and most of the time it is running below the surface preventing us from taking the necessary action we are capable of.

It may creep in when you set yourself a new goal or when you do something you have not done before. We face these situations all the time so doubt really does have an active presence in our day to day lives.

Doubt doesn’t like sleep!

So how do the best performers cope with doubt? How do they overcome it?

Here are a couple of things you can do:

Ignore it. Actually listen to what your doubt is telling you and then choose to ignore it’s advice. Say thank you but no thank you. You are the voice of the past and I am creating a new future, you are no use to me any more [volume down].

Once you start ignoring your doubt it will start to get quieter. Think of it like a child having a tantrum. After a while, they begin to calm once they realise their tantrum is not getting a response.

Doubt is childish in many ways. Treat it that way!

Secondly, you need to first recognise that doubt is actually active and how it is holding you back. You can only do this with valuable reflection time. Take at least 5 minutes each day to think about where doubt held you back today, make a note of it and then decide that in those situations in the future when it pops up, you will be ready for it and you will just smile and simply ignore it.

These two methods work brilliantly together. Put them into practise today and slowly but surely watch your doubt fade away.

Inspiring you to be the BEST you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Conference Speaker, Motivational Trainer and Performance Coach based in the UK

If you enjoyed this article then please check out my book. It’s receiving some great reviews and is packed with simple lessons you can apply in your life for amazing results and breakthrough performance.

Firstly, why set goals?

I believe the ultimate reason to set a goal is not to achieve the end outcome but to grow as a person. Because many times the destination is not all it is lived up to be.

That is just the way it is unfortunately. The most exciting part is before you have achieved the goal and the thought of achieving it is exciting. I have found this part to be more fun than when you actually reach your destination.

I have also had this feedback from many others.

Therefore the important part is that you set yourself goals that make you grow as a person. Goals that actually require you to become a better person to achieve them. That is the ultimate reward.

The reason?

Because that will never be short lived. That won’t fade. You will take that with you and reap the rewards for the rest of your life. There is nothing more powerful than that.

Do your current goals require you to become a better person to achieve them?

Secondly, there is much talk about writing your goals down. This is a MUST. You have to write your goals down and more importantly you have to review them every day just to remind yourself of them. Believe me it is too easy for them to slip your mind OR for you to not pay attention to them because they challenge you and require that you go outside your comfort zone. Don’t avoid this. If you don’t want to go outside your comfort zone – don’t set goals!

There is a statistic circulating in the goal setting industry that only 3% of the population have written goals.

Are you in that 3%?

Whether the statistic is true or not does not matter. Put it this way – it will NOT do you any harm to write down your goals. Only good. Yes it may be a bit scary but scary is great. It means you are growing as a person and that is the destiny of us all, we don’t have a choice in that one but we do have a choice in HOW MUCH we grow.

And finally, keep your goals private. Especially your most precious and personal goals. Maybe share some with close friends/family/partner but still hold some back just for yourself. I have found amazing power in this since I have been doing it.

The World doesn’t need to hear what you are GOING to do, it is waiting for you to SHOW us.

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Keynote Speaker, Author and Performance Coach based in Manchester and London, UK.

Did you enjoy this little insight into goal setting? If so, there are many more simple strategies in my book which is getting some fantastic reviews at the moment

The difference between being good and being GREAT.

What is the difference?

My insight may not be what you expect.

I have discovered that the difference between being good at something and being GREAT at something is quite small. Let me explain.

I am not saying that you only have to do a little bit more work or put in a little bit more effort to become great.

What I am saying is that the difference lies in the smallest of details.

Great athletes, great coaches, great leaders… they all focus on every small detail no matter how small as long as they believe it will help them and their people to improve.

And I believe that the difference lies in those individuals who are willing to pay attention to every small detail and apply what they learn no matter how small it seems.

It is this attention to detail that makes the difference.

It is a mindset ultimately.

A mindset that says you are willing to do whatever it takes to go from being good (like the crowd) to being GREAT like the minority.

The average person would see this approach as obsessive or over the top. I have seen this reaction both in the workplace and at the highest level of sport. It can creep into any team, any workforce, any group of people.

Those who become great ignore the majority. They don’t see being obsessed as something negative. They see it as part of the process and they love it. Being obsessed is just another way of saying you are passionate about something and we certainly need more people like that in the World.

Think about how this applies to you and your life right now.

Are you simply good at what you do or are you taking note of every single detail you can to become GREAT?

I know which one I have chose and I know which one is more satisfying.

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Motivational Keynote Speaker, Author and Performance Psychologist based in the UK

Did you enjoy this insight? If so then I just know you will love my book which captures lots of lessons from the greatest performers in both sports and business and shows you how to apply them in your life for amazing results.

It got me to thinking about how sometimes we are too quick to judge ourselves. Both in a positive and a negative sense.

We make one mistake and we say “I’m no good at that, it’s not for me”.

Or we do something well a couple of times and we say “I’ve got this handled. I will improve at something else now. Next”.

Both scenarios hold us back without us even realising.

If you judge yourself on the negative too quickly then you never really give anything your full effort. And we know what happens when you do this. You don’t improve.

If you judge yourself on the positive too quickly you don’t try any harder and just remain at a ‘good’ level and good just isn’t good enough. You should be aiming for GREAT.

I seen this happen with some young athletes a few weeks back. They were practising a new drill and in their first attempts they were struggling to get the hang of it. I said to them, don’t judge yourself just yet. Give it 10 tries and then see if you have improved. They did and guess what? They improved and were pleased with themselves.

The lesson?

Don’t always listen to your mind until you have given something enough time to judge it over. We generalize far too quickly and if we are not careful we end up forming negative beliefs about things in our lives that just don’t make sense. Worse still is that these beliefs can hold us back for many years without us even realising.

Where have you been guilty of this?

And how are you going to turn it around?

Inspiring you to be the best you can be,

Martin Robert Hall

Motivational Speaker, Author and Performance Coach based in the UK – Manchester and London.

If you enjoyed this article then you will love my book which is full of more great strategies to help you become the best you can be. Check it out and get OPTIMIZED!