Rapid Success Coach

Finding your dream job does not mean you need to wait until after the recession. It’s possible to both find and land your ideal job if you follow a few simple steps. In this post I will walk you through the process to identify your dream job.

1) Aim for the top 5%

Being in the top 5% of your field is the best way to recession proof your career. When you are in the top 5% employers are actually looking for you. This make the search for the dream job much easier.

The top 5% goes beyond being one of the best in your organization. In this global economy you are literally competing with the entire world. Make sure your set your sight on being a key player in your industry.

I’m often asked … do I really need to aim for the top five percent?

My response to them is this… What percentage of people are living an average life, have settled for a boring job and / or mediocre career. In my experience the answer to this is around 95%. So if you are NOT aiming for the top 5% you are on the path toward mediocrity. The only way off this path is adopt the mantra “Mediocrity Sucks!” and aim for the top 5%.

2) Know your value

It’s critical that you understand what you are good at. Questions like … What are your strengths? What do you do better than anyone else? What comes naturally to me that others find amazing? … all help you focus on understanding who you are, what you are brilliant at and highlighting your value.

Remember, your target is to be in the top 5% of your field. You will only achieve the top 5% if you leverage your brilliance, connect with your passion and work harder than everyone else around you. It’s possible to make it the the top 5% on hard work alone, however this will quickly burn you out. Only by leveraging your uniqueness and doing what you love will give your the stamina for a long and fruitful career.

3) Identify your niche

Once you’ve made the commitment to be in the top 5% and are clear on your strengths, you need to identify your niche. A niche is the area, industry or field that you are planning to dominate. The challenge here is making the connection between the work that someone will actually pay you for and what you enjoy doing most.

Think outside the box and brainstorm all the elements of your dream job. Do you want to work with people or on your own? Is it analytical in nature or perhaps more strategic? Is your work clearly laid out before you or is it more vague?

For example my strengths are people, process and focus. In the corporate world my niche is project management because of my ability to focus teams to complete short or long term organizational objectives. This same strengths also make me an ideal coach. The same skills that I use to help companies achieve goals, I use to help individuals achieve personal and professional goals. Same strengths, different niches.

If you are serious about finding your dream job it is critical that you complete all 3 steps outlined above. Aiming for the Top 5% will help you raise the bar, knowing your value will allow you to walk with confidence and identifying your niche will keep you focused. Doing these 3 steps will put you on the path toward a six-figure income doing what love.

Autobiography In Five Short Chapters (Poem)

Chapter One

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost . . . I am helpless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I am in this same place.

But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in . . . it’s a habit . . . but,

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter Four

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter Five

I walk down another street.

When the movie The Matrix came out in 1999 everyone was talking about how this was the best sci-fi movie ever made. Trust me I know, I was one of them. The special effects, the actors, the suspense, the action, the twists and turns all made this an outstanding movie that has been the benchmark to beat ever since it hit the big screen.

What is truly amazing is that everyone was so caught up in the action and special effects that they didn’t even notice that they were actually watching the best self-improvement movie ever made.

That’s right.

I’m going to boldly claim that The Matrix was and still is the best self-improvement movie ever made. Much more powerful and eye opening then the popular movies released specifically for the self-help market, The Secret and What The Bleep.

The reason that The Matrix was so brilliant is the majority of people watching it didn’t even realize that they were watching a self-improvement movie. The story was so well written, so compelling, that we thought we were just watching an action packed sci-fi.

I would like to make a disclaimer as this point. The Matrix is an action movie and does contain scenes of violence, because of this the movie may not appeal to everyone. Watching the movie is not a requirement to understanding the material here. I will explain everything you need to know.

When you look past the action scenes you can see how brilliantly the directors gave us an insight as to how our mind really works. For our purpose here I want to focus on two key insights:

One … it showed us that our reality is defined by our perception.

Two … to change this perception (thus our reality) we just need to choose.

Let me explain …

When the hero, Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) wakes up for the first time outside the matrix he see the world for as it truly is. At this moment he realizes that the world around him was just a façade. That it was his old beliefs that were keeping him stuck.

It was these beliefs that defined the image of who he was. His old beliefs enforced a limiting self-image that kept him stuck in mediocrity. As the story progresses, Neo begins to create a new self-image. He discovers his true potential and uncovers his rapid success self. He creates a vision of a new self-image referred to as The One. His true power emerges as he begins to believe in this new self-image.

The choice happens a few times throughout the movie.

The first choice is, the red pill or blue pill. Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne) explains that the blue pill will do nothing, that Neo will go back to his old life of mediocrity, believing whatever he want to believe (what I call The Rut). He also explains that the red pill will show Neo what the Matrix really is (what I call The Path).

The second choice is when Neo begins to believe that he actually is The One. Morpheus helps Neo create a vision of his rapid success self, being The One. He takes small actions as first. However, as he makes minor changes, he gains momentum until finally he is able to succeed. In the end there is no question that Neo believes he is The One.

As a coach and your guide, it’s my goal to play the role of Morpheus. I truly believe that you are The One, destined to fulfill your unlimited potential. I want to help you unleash that potential. I want to help you see the world as it truly is. I want to help you wake up from your current reality and discover your current self. I want to show you the REAL world so you can break free from the mediocrity. I want to help you create a vision for your rapid success self so that you can become The One.

I’m Morpheus. Are you The One?

“There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”

Morpheus
The Matrix (1999)

Today I was listening to the audio book Tribes by Seth Godin and he mentioned the term sheepwalking.

I liked this term so much that I felt compelled to share it with you.

To summarize in my own words, sheepwalking is the result of the conditioning that we experience that keeps us stuck in mediocrity.

We have been trained to be sheep since birth.

Our parents scold us when we speak out or talk back.

Our teachers penalize us when we colour outside the lines.

Our government wants us to get a job and pay taxes.

Our bosses want us to follow the rules and get the job done.

Because of this social conditioning we:

• have lost our ability to be curious
• are afraid of what other might think of us if we make a mistake
• have lost our voice
• strive to avoid change
• are disconnected from our true selves
• think small and avoid risks
• have become stuck in the rut of mediocrity
• do everything we can to keep things the same
• are not reaching our true potential
• have given up responsibility for our lives

We have become sheep.

When I notice that I’m stuck in the rut and sheepwalking I know that it’s time to:

• wake-up and begin walking the path
• step up and begin living my life based on my mission
• lead my life toward my vision
• banish mediocrity from my life
• challenge the status quo
• stand out from the crowd and shout … I’m not going to take it anymore!
• take a risk and step out of my comfort zone
• be an agent of change
• live the rapid success manifesto

So ask yourself …

In my career … how am I sheepwalking?

In my business … how am I sheepwalking?

In my life … how am I sheepwalking?

When you notice that you are sheepwalking that next big question is …

What are ewe going to do about it?

If I had to choose just one factor that would determine if someone was going too successful I would have to select attitude.

Attitude is the lens that we look though and see the world and ourselves. Based on our attitude we:

• see things either negative or positive
• believe that goals cannot be achieved or are achievable
• create an image of who we are and what we are capable

When I was a manager I always hired for attitude. I found that people with the right attitude were open to change, easier to develop, good team players and achieved results faster. When I compromised and hired for technical skills I found that these individuals where difficult to work with and poisoned the team with there bad attitude.

Now as a consultant and coach, I select my Clients based on their attitude. Clients with the right attitude are open to change, easier to develop, good team players and achieve results faster (sound familiar?). When I work with Client with the right attitude I am able to deliver my best work because they energize me and challenge me to be at my best.

When you have the right attitude you will …

• get promoted faster
• attract clients faster
• increase your earning potential
• increase your level of satisfaction
• be less stressed
• have better leadership capabilities
• influence others more easily
• have a better quality of life
• move toward what you want
• rapidly achieve your goals

The right attitude will rapidly move you to a higher altitude.

The question now becomes can you change attitudes? Are you able to change the attitude of others? Absolutely not! Can you change your attitude? Absolutely!

To develop the right attitude you can focus on …

• turning off the negative self talk and begin seeing things through a positive lens
• setting stretch goals and believing that they can be achieved (even if you not sure how to achieve them)
• creating an empowering image of who you are and what you are capable

This leads us to the fourth entry of the Rapid Success Manifesto.

4) I am improving my attitude every single day.

Your challenge this week is to focus on improving your attitude:

Begin by focusing on the positive events within your world. What is positive about the things going on around you? What can you learn about this? How can you improve?

Next, set a stretch goal for the week. Something outside of your comfort zone and then just decide that you are going to complete it. No complaints, no excuses, just get it done.

Finally, visualize yourself overcoming a past challenge. Draw on multiple past successes and develop an empowering image of yourself achieving your current goal.

Now go out and take action toward what you want.

And remember, your attitude determines your altitude.

“Do or do not … there is no try”

Yoda
Jedi Master, Star Wars

I’m excited to announce the new slogan for Rapid Success Coaching Inc.

It is … helping smart people achieve a six-figure income doing what they love.

And yes, smart actually stands for something. It’s based on the exceptional qualities of the top 5% leaders, managers, career professionals, service providers and entrepreneurs. Are you ready to begin earning six-figures doing what you love? Let’s find out if you’re smart …

S stands for Status-quo

Smart people are feed up with the status-quo. They have an innate desire to move beyond mediocre and to be successful. They are ready to step out of the rut and move toward what they want.

M stands for Mastery

Smart people dedicate themselves to personal mastery. They continue to grow and learn at every opportunity and graciously take feedback from others. They work on releasing the limiting beliefs that are holding them back and replacing them with more empowering ones.

A stands for Attitude

Smart people have a positive attitude. They focus their thoughts on the positive and let go of the negative. They have learned to leverage the law of attraction. They know that their thoughts direct their behavior and that their behavior directs their actions and their actions determine their results. Smart people know that if you want to change your results, start with your thoughts!

R stands for Responsibility

Smart people take responsibility for their lives. They have removed blame and have banished the entitlement attitude out from their very being. They take responsibility for the achievement of there goals by taking decisive action.

T stands for Thinking Big

Smart people think big. They raise the bar by setting stretch goals for themselves and others. They are determined to put themselves and their teams in the Top 5% of their industry. They are ready to make a difference in the world and to be the best that they can be.

Wow … what a great list.

Are you smart? Are you ready to begin earning six-figures doing what you love? Let a Rapid Success Coach show you how.

Not sure if you’re smart and your still reading this? Then there’s hope.

I would suggest putting a personal development plan in place for each of these areas. Start reading (watch for our recommended reading list), attend workshops and seminars (check-out our upcoming events) and take action to improve yourself in each of the 5 areas.

Only by improving yourself in these 5 areas will you be able to start on the path to earning six-figures doing what you love.

“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.”

Early on in my career I found that I was always driven by a single factor.

This single factor was and still is “Mediocrity Sucks!”

There’s something about that phrase that touches at the core of who I am.

Mediocrity is the silent killer of dreams and aspirations.

It’s what keeps us comfortably stuck in the rut.

It’s what keeps us from challenging the status quo.

It’s what keeps us putting off our most important goals.

When I use the phrase “Mediocrity Sucks!” it’s as if I am connecting directly to the passion that lives within.

To me, “Mediocrity Sucks!” is at the core of what being an agent of change is all about.

It’s about noticing the rut that exists within our lives.

It’s about getting pissed off with the status quo.

It’s about understanding what is holding us back.

More importantly it’s about connecting with and unleashing our passion so that we can take action and make an impact on the world.

So we can step out of our rut.

So we can change the status quo.

So we can achieve our goals.

This leads us to the third entry of the Rapid Success Manifesto.

3) I am taking action to banish mediocrity from my life and the world.

I now issue a challenge to you.

If you are truly committed to embracing the Rapid Success Manifesto as your own you need to start taking action.

What are you going to do today that will free you from the shackles of mediocrity?

I look forward to hearing your story.