Reach YOUR Peak! Inside Scoop #2

Over the next couple of weeks I will be blogging about my new book “Reach YOUR Peak! Become CEO of Your Success!” and sharing excerpts of the 16 chapters with you. RYP is the culmination of four years of research and training that I have done and I’m very proud of the result!

The book can be read easily in a weekend but I encourage you to read each chapter and then reflect on the note section and “to do list” that you’ll find. Many of the suggested activities involve you talking with others who know you well and with peers in your workplace or industry. Treat each chapter like a mini-workshop and fully complete it before moving on to the next. RYP is built like a house – foundation, walls, roof, interior completion and finishing touches. Follow the plan, grow your knowledge and then move ahead to the next phase.

Today, we’ll take a look at Chapters 3 and 4:

Chapter 3 – “Attitude”

This chapter begins the in depth discussion of each of the VOWELS – the seven habitual characteristics that start with A,E,I,O and U. I would have made Attitude the first VOWEL even if it didn’t start with A because it is the engine that drives the entire train of great habits.

One of the major points about Attitude is that it’s not what happens to you during the day, it’s your reaction to what happens to you that determines a positive or negative outcome. In fact I encourage the reader to start each day with an important 5 word phrase – “Each Day is a Gift”:

“I believe that Each Day is a Gift and that you get a box to open each morning. Inside it may be the best day of your life (you truly inspire your team to succeed or close a big deal). Inside it may be the worst day of your life (I have a mother in her eighties with health problems. I probably have a bad day box on my way at some time in the future). Or it might be just a normal, mundane Tuesday in the box.

Whatever is inside the box only lasts for 24 hours.It has nothing to do with yesterday (unless you want to bring positives with you from the day before!), and it has nothing to do with tomorrow. Inside the box is God’s gift to you – this day –right now! The question is what are you going to do with it? Will you take this lovely gift and sprinkle negativity and pain and disappointment on it, changing the molecular construction of a perfectly good day into one fraught with dark thoughts and contempt? Or will you decide to have control over this day, and that your gift to God is to live it to the fullest degree possible? I hope and pray you choose the latter!”

Chapter 4 – “Energy”

In chapter 4 I continue the VOWELS examination with the first “E” – Energy. Energy is the fundamental source of everything in the universe and to reach your peak you must fully grasp and understand how harness its power in your life. When you get tired, you make bad decisions and cut corners. The goal with Energy is be the same person at 9am Monday morning as you are at 5pm on Friday afternoon – that’s almost impossible unless you learn to grow and maintain your energy reserves.

Energy has become a subset of our society and we buy it from and sell it to each other all day long. One of the aspects I find most interesting are “Energy Coaches”:

“If you want to do something fun, Google the phrase “Energy Coach.” You’ll get hundreds of responses from folks who claim to be “The Energy Coach,” “the original Energy Coach,” “YOUR Energy Coach,” and many more! These “experts” have stepped in to fill the psychological void of how to manage your energy reserves. They give you practical tips on how to stay focused during a long day, how to break out of the rut of routines, and even how to work exercise into your workday and keep your mind sharp.

While for some people using one of these coaches is an option, I believe that you can control this side of your life on your own! I can’t give you your energy strategy because it’s very personal – it’s your own “secret formula.” While I don’t know your formula, I can share with you one of my energy tricks.”

In the next blog, we’ll take a look at Chapters 5 and 6. To order the book or the E-book now, go to my website at www.BradRaney.com and look for the link on the Homepage or go to the Products page. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Brad@BradRaney.com.

Thanks!

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Reach YOUR Peak! Inside Scoop #1

Over the next couple of weeks I will be blogging about my new book “Reach YOUR Peak! Become CEO of Your Success!” and sharing excerpts of the 16 chapters with you. RYP is the culmination of four years of research and training that I have done and I’m very proud of the result!

The book can be read easily in a weekend but I encourage you to read each chapter and then reflect on the note section and “to do list” that you’ll find. Many of the suggested activities involve you talking with others who know you well and with peers in your workplace or industry. Treat each chapter like a mini-workshop and fully complete it before moving on to the next. RYP is built like a house – foundation, walls, roof, interior completion and finishing touches. Follow the plan, grow your knowledge and then move ahead to the next phase.

Today, we’ll take a look at Chapters 1 and 2:

Chapter 1 – “Do You Have the Attributes of a CEO”

This chapter covers the entire premise of the book – empowering the reader to take control of their personal lives and professional accomplishments by acting and making decisions like a CEO. For that to happen, one must have the traits of a CEO. Chances are, if you pick up RYP, you have the skills, abilities and talents of a CEO – even if you don’t know it yet!

The chapter takes a look at the personality traits and habits of some very famous CEOs (Bill Gates , Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Warren Buffet and more) and compares them in a number of ways. After this detailed discussion, the tables are turned on the reader and I ask them to think about their own leadership traits:

“Take the time to reflect upon the attributes that you possess that are common to great CEOs. Ask folks who know you well to give you a list of attributes they believe you possess and compare your list to theirs. More than likely, you will find some cross over between what attributes you think you own and what your friends and colleagues see as your strengths.

However, be ready for a bit of a shock if things you hold dear are not on your friend’s list. We often think we are better at something than we really are – it could be overconfidence or simple myopathy. You might also discover that others think you are much stronger in an area than you do – maybe due to your lack of confidence or fear of failure. Either way that it goes, this list comparison will be eye-opening for you and will begin to set the groundwork for areas that you need to improve in beginning to think like a CEO.”

Chapter 2 – “Learn Your VOWELS!”

In the second chapter I introduce the VOWELS concept that I created in 2009 to get my sales team through the worst economic year since 1930. The VOWELS are seven habitual characteristics that start with A,E,I,O and U and they are: Attitude, Energy, Effort, Integrity, Intensity, Outlook and Uniqueness. Once you learn to harness the power in each of these tools, you can build the future you really desire.

In subsequent chapters, the book goes into each VOWEL in detail but in this chapter I describe the necessity of learning more about these seven life skills:

“Learning to master these traits is critical to anyone who wants to set and achieve high goals – to go beyond what they think is really possible, to actually reach their personal peaks in every aspect of their lives!

The VOWELS form a chemical reaction with one’s own personal dreams, hopes, passions, and the result is the discovery and harnessing of one’s true vocation! God has placed special, unique gifts inside each of us. The VOWELS hold the combination to the safe where they are stored. Learn the tenets and you learn the sequence to finally open the vault and set them soaring!”

In the next blog, we’ll take a look at Chapters 3 and 4. To order the book or the E-book now, go to my website at www.BradRaney.com and look for the link on the Homepage or go to the Products page. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Brad@BradRaney.com.

Thanks!