On super speedways, racers use the technique of drafting to increase their speed. Drafting is when one car tucks in behind another car, lessening the effect of drag from the air. Basically two or more cars running in a line can go faster than one car by itself. Resistance from the air is drastically reduced when in the draft.
This technique can be used in life as well. I know this is going to come as a shock to some of you, but whatever problem or goal you have has been had by someone before you. Why are you fighting the resistance by yourself? Why not follow someone who has been there before? You could drastically reduce the drag on your own life by tucking in behind someone who has paved the way.
I want to fight my alcoholism, so I surround myself with people who are sober and have managed to stay that way. I go to meetings and listen to how they accomplish and maintain their sobriety. I talk to people who have years of experience. They have been in my shoes before, and they are now where I want to be. Sure, I could have tried to quit on my own. I might have been able to do it. Those race cars can definitely make it the 500 miles around Indianapolis by themselves, but they increase their speed by drafting.
The fastest way to get to where you want to be in life is to follow someone who has been there before and laid out the path to success. If you want to start a new business, research the industry. See what has worked and what hasn't for people who have been there before. If you want to improve your health quicker, do research online or in the library about health and wellness from quality professional trainers and nutritionists. If you want to invest, spend some time and do the required research on that investment. See how similar investments have worked for others.
Others in the personal development industry may say, "Be a leader, not a follower." I see where they are coming from, but, on the other hand, why not use successful techniques rather than fighting your way through life by yourself. I recently attended a seminar in which the speaker advised the crowd to "Ready, Fire, Aim." While it motivated the audience members to get off the fence and make a change in their life, I know from experience that it's not that simple. If you hold down the gas while entering a turn and then try to point the car in the right direction, you will almost certainly crash and burn. I have seen this many times, especially in today's economy: people have jumped into an investment or started a business without knowing enough and have been hurt financially. Surround yourself with people who have been successful, and you will avoid making some very costly mistakes.
Be grateful for those who have gone down these roads before. Learn from them. Do the research. If you follow a proven leader, then you will get to the end of the race much faster than going it alone.
Today I want you to list as many of your good qualities as you can. After you've made your list, ask three of the people closest to you to do the same. Then compare these lists. Do those close to you recognize similar qualities in you? Are there differences? Give some thought to what others see in you.
Erik Elsea
Word of the Day! Receive-to come into possession of, acquire.
Let's start receiving all that is available to us in this world.
Quote of the Day! "When my world is small, my problems seem big, but when my world is big, my problems seem small" -unknown (i.e., Expand your world!)
This topic is fitting because my favorite racing series, NASCAR, just finished racing in Martinsville, VA a couple weekends ago. This track is ideal for applying this principle, Slow down to speed up. The reason for this is that if you overdrive the car, you will not get the most traction and cannot speed up coming out of the turn as quickly. Rather than over- driving the car into the turn, by slowing up a little you can carry your momentum through the turn and accelerate out. By going just a bit slower, your overall lap times actually improve.
This might be one of the hardest concepts I have had to learn. My personality wants everything right now. I am the king of instant gratification. When I see something I think looks good, I go charging at it like a bull. In business this has caused me to invest without doing the proper research. In relationships I have made life-changing decisions without truly getting to know the person. Because I went charging in, I lost traction and went skidding into a wall. If I had slowed down and reflected on what I was doing, I would have been able to maintain control, make educated decisions and avoid problems for myself and those around me. By slowing down I would not have lost the momentum in my life and, even though there was a turn to make, I could have easily accelerated through it.
Yesterday we stood back and realistically calculated the amount of time we can devote to our goal each day. We also asked ourselves how long we thought it would take to reach our goal, committing ourselves to it. Today I am asking you to get organized. If you have decided to devote one hour of each day to work on your goal, then block that time out of each and every day. Put it in your planner. Mark it on your calendar. Remind yourself of this commitment! Remember, if you cannot keep commitments to yourself, to whom can you keep them?
A personal goal was a healthier lifestyle. Now I go to the gym 6 days a week. I don't feel guilty about its affecting any other aspect of my life because it's the commitment I have made to myself. If your one goal is better health, do something similar. Block a daily amount of time for working out or taking a walk. Every day! Whatever step you have to take on a daily basis to move you closer to your goal, do it. Now put this time commitment in your journal!
Erik Elsea
Word of the Day! Time-every moment there has ever been or ever will be.
Let's make the most of our committed time.
Quote of the Day! Willingness without action is imagination. -unknown
Yesterday we talked about what to do when you're in doubt about situations in your life. But what do you do when your life is out of control? The second thing I learned at Skip Barber Racing School was In a spin, both feet in. When you've already lost control of the car, then you need to immediately push in the clutch and brake hard. In this situation you are just along for the ride, but by pushing in the clutch you cut the power to the wheels. And by jumping hard on the brakes you are trying to get the car whoa'ed down before you hit the wall.
If your life is out of control right now, you should put both feet in. Hit the brakes. Step back from your current situation. Evaluate your life. Your goals. Your relationships. I know this is easier said than done in many situations. Many times in my life I have been spinning out of control-in business, with my addictions, in relationships. Before I applied this principle of in a spin, both feet in, I would usually try to power out. My problem was that I did not recognize that I was already completely out of control. I tried to gas it, which just resulted in a harder impact when I finally hit the wall.
If you know you are in a bad relationship, find the power within yourself to put a stop to it. If you are battling addiction, remove yourself completely from your current situation. Check into a treatment facility. If you are riding a business venture in an unstoppable downward spiral, then cut your losses before you lose it all. If your life is out of control, hit the brakes and limit the damage as much as possible. Don't get me wrong: there will probably still be some damage, but if you're spinning, you anticipate that. In a spin, both feet in will help you come to a complete stop so you can start again in a different direction.
Yesterday we put in writing what we have done in the past to try to accomplish our one main goal-the one achievement that will improve all aspects of our life. Today I want you to figure how long it would take-starting immediately and focusing completely-to reach that goal. Determine realistically how many hours a week you can spend-1?...
7?...40?-to totally transform your life. Really think about this. Then jot notes in a journal. How many hours a week and how many weeks do you think it will take for you to accomplish your goal?
Erik Elsea
Word of the Day! Commit-to carry into action deliberately.
Let's commit to accomplishing our goal.
Quote of the Day! "Hoping someone else will do it for you requires more energy than just doing it yourself." -Amy Emme
This is the very first thing I learned at the Skip Barber Racing School: when in doubt, power out. In racing this means that when you are in a turn and you feel like you might not make it, accelerate through it. Sparing you all of the physics involved in this, the simple explanation is that giving the car more gas when it is starting to go sideways puts more weight on the rear tires for more traction. This maneuver goes against a lot of your instincts, especially if you are new to racing. A natural reaction with a car beginning to get out of control at over 100 mph is to let off the gas or hit the brakes to slow down. This will almost certainly cause you to spin out of control and hit the wall, crash, and burn.
Powering out of the turn means you are going for it. Only one of two things is going to happen. You're going to make it through the turn...or you're not. The same principle can be used in life and in business. If you are having problems in your relationship, give it more love. If you have a business venture that is struggling, give it more attention. In any case, power out. You have power, so devote more of it to those areas of your life that you have doubts about. When in doubt, power out. That extra effort you give might just be the traction you need to move forward. Only one of two things is going to happen. In that relationship to which you gave more love, either the love is going to be returned or it's not. That struggling business venture to which you gave more attention is going to succeed or it's not. In either circumstance you will be able to look yourself in the eye and feel good about giving it your all.
Yesterday we said that any idea or thought that is not put on paper is wasted. We answered the question about the one thing you want to accomplish. Today I want you to put down on paper what you have tried in the past to accomplish that one thing. How far were you willing to go in the past to get what you wanted? So now answer the question, What have I tried in the past to accomplish my goal?
Erik Elsea
Word of the Day! Negotiate-to get through, around, or over successfully.
Let's get good at negotiating all of the turns we have in our lives.
Quote of the Day! "The shortest distance between two people is a smile." -unknown
Welcome to my new blog! I am happy that you are checking it out. My goal is to earn you as a consistent reader by providing you with quality content. I would like to start this blog off with a prayer both because it's how I want to live my life every day from this day forward and to bless this blog, its author, and all those it may touch today and everyday in the future. This blog will include some spirituality but by no means is religious. It is for everyone no matter what your beliefs are.
-"Lord (as you understand him), make me a channel of thy peace - that where there is hatred, I may bring love - that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness - that where there is discord, I may bring harmony - that where there is error, I may bring truth - that where there is doubt, I may bring faith - that where there is despair, I may bring hope - that where there are shadows, I may bring light - that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted - to understand, than to be understood - to love, than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. Amen."
That prayer means so much to me. This blog is about taking the fast lane to success. I have experience in the fast lane both behind the wheel of a race car and in living life. I am what they call a type A personality. There is never enough action for me. I have to be going a hundred miles an hour in whatever I do to feel like I am accomplishing something. That is probably what led me to the excitement of strapping into a car to go 170+ miles per hour. The adrenalin rush is amazing. This also probably somewhat explains my addictions to both drugs and alcohol. For me there is never enough of that rush you get when you are trying to control something that is on the verge of being out of control. That includes my life.
I will tell you many stories about my successes and my failures in future blogs.
Since today is the first blog I will walk you through what I hope will be helpful daily exercises to get your life into victory lane.
"Any idea or though not put on paper is wasted"- David Essel
So I would like you to start a journal if you don't already have one and do the daily exercises.
Today let's set ONE intention. Answer this question: What do you want to accomplish?
That's great! I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Erik Elsea
Word of the day! Intention-a determination to act in a certain way: resolve
Let's show resolve and accomplish our goal!
Quote of the Day! "Vision without implementation is hallucination" -author unknown
Erik Elsea is an international coach, trainer, and speaker. He will soon be able to add author to his list of accomplishments.
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