View from the Summit

We’re a month into 2021. It flew by, didn’t it?

As you probably know, February brings an abrupt stop to many New Year’s resolutions. I just read that around 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail - by the second week of February!

Positive intentions that begin with hope and motivation don’t last. Why is that?

If you ask Stephen Covey, he would tell you it’s because most people don’t change “inside-out.” In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey says that deep, painful problems aren’t solved by “quick-fix” approaches. People don’t get deep enough into self-reflection to discover what actually needs to change.

Instead, we chase the promise of each new “revolutionary” product. Give us five easy steps, a 90-day plan, or a “bulletproof” system… 

Listen, those things are just tools. Unless you take the time to develop your skills and habits, the best tools are useless.

As our mastermind groups go through the book, I wanted to share about the first four habits with you. If you commit to developing them, you can’t help but grow. It’s happened to me too many times to be a coincidence!

In addition, take a look at the resources in The Mastermind Playbook to become the best facilitator you can be. 

The 4 Habits and Why You Must Develop Them

1. Habit 1 – Be Proactive

Are you on top of things? Do you control your day, or does it control you? Are you truly satisfied with the path you’re on?

If you’re not on top, in control, and truly satisfied, it could mean you’re not being proactive enough. Note: this doesn’t mean you’re “always busy.” There’s a difference between being proactive and being productive. 

Most people who run online mastermind groups work just as hard as other entrepreneurs. It’s not whether or not they work; it’s what they work on, and how they work on it that matter.

Being proactive means you’re self-aware, as you go through life. You know what you want, and every action you take reflects it. In order to achieve your goals, you have to consciously work toward them … and you can’t do that if you don’t know when you’re going off-track.

Every ship needs a sober captain making sound decisions in response to the current situation. Without it, your ship will be tossed about viciously. This makes it impossible to reach your destination. Do yourself and those around you a huge favor and become proactive about your growth!

2. Habit 2 – Begin with the End in Mind

Highly effective people have a vision of how they want their life to end up. They make proactive decisions that guide toward it. When you begin with the end in mind, you do two powerful things:

• You imagine yourself as though you’ve already achieved the goal. This helps motivate you in the right direction. What’s the old saying? “If you can hold it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand.”

• You see clearly how to reverse-engineer success. This is one of the most important reasons to set goals. As Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up someplace else.”

It’s critical to define your end goal, and weigh every opportunity against it. If an offer or situation doesn’t help grow your business mastermind, feel free to politely decline. It’s perfectly acceptable to know what you want and ignore distractions.

Habit 3 – Put First Things First

How do you keep track of it all? Most people use a to-do list. Sure, they’ll block off time. But that block is dedicated to whittling down that to-do list.

I’m not knocking to-do lists. They’re handy, and I love having clear, actionable items to cross off. I want to challenge you to go a level deeper with personal management. You need to know what’s important (and what’s not) and what you need to do right now (versus what can wait, or be delegated).

Covey displays four quadrants you can use to segment your activities. Every day, life will give you things that are

• Important and Urgent
• Important and Not Urgent
• Not Important and Urgent
• Not Important and Not Urgent

The most effective people focus on tasks that are Important and Not Urgent. These are tasks like working out, relationship building, and strategic planning. Because they dedicate so much time to this category, they see massive, valuable returns over long periods of time.

Habit 4 – Think Win/Win

The last habit we’ll cover today is the first habit to include others. Up until now, the first three habits teach us self-mastery. It takes a level of self-mastery to operate from a mindset of Win/Win.

Win/Win simply means both parties benefit. Despite what the world keeps fussing about, both sides can win. Life is not a zero-sum game. Effective leaders know this, and look for opportunities for everyone to win.

Let me share how the mastermind business shifted in 2020. It forced us to employ creativity, so we could do the best for everyone involved. How would we have fared, for example, if we’d simply canceled our annual live events?

I’ll put it this way: it’d be a tough decision for me personally, if someone offered to wave a magic wand and make 2020 just like all the years that came before it. 

We came up with new ways to connect in-person, even during a nationwide shutdown. Your mastermind can find more fulfillment while you enjoy larger profits. It is possible, and it starts with thinking Win/Win.

We’re just scratching the surface. Dig deep into the world of successful online mastermind group leadership with The Mastermind Playbook.

How to Integrate These Four Habits into Your Life

I realize, these habits are “easier said than done.” It can be challenging to change yourself, but it’s well worth the struggle. Below are ways to take some of the pain out of growth.

• Start small and gain momentum. Don’t go looking to 10X your mastermind in the first month. That growth sounds amazing, but it’s likely unsustainable. As you’re adjusting to new habits and standards, remember the beauty of compounding growth.

• Get back on the horse. You’ll never truly fail unless you give up. As you rise to new challenges, there will be times you’re bucked off. Be courageous and get back up there.

• Get someone close to you to hold you accountable. We always work out better with a friend who goes to the gym with us. Find peers as hungry to grow as you are. Check in with and encourage each other regularly. Just like misery, success loves company!

Mastermind leaders love The Mastermind Playbook because it shows them how to build and scale their business the right way. This is the time to get the framework. Mix it with these new success habits, and you’ll only wish you’d done it sooner.