Your attitude can dramatically effect the thoughts you have, the feelings you experience and the actions you take.
The way to achieve whatever challenge you are facing is to develop an Unstoppable attitude and implement your Unstoppable system.
This book is split into four main parts. Part One is The Beginning and where you are right now. Its purpose is to set the scene and share with you what is possible when you become Unstoppable.
Part Two is The Foundation and focuses on the 1-3-5 Action Plan and how to create your own so you have a framework to become Unstoppable.
Part Three is all about The Execution Skills. As I've said, having your 1-3-5 Action Plan is not enough; the magic happens when you begin to use it.
Part Four is sharing with you how to have a fantastic next 12 months using your plan and also reviewing the main areas of your life and business.
Throughout the book I will share anecdotal stories about what others, including myself, have done to meet our challenges and how these relate to you. Also, I want to share what you can achieve when you answer the number one important question: ‘If I was the very best version of myself, what could I achieve?'
I have also highlighted some other ‘Key Questions' for you to answer and to get you thinking. In addition to this I will give you ‘Key Development Points' for you to note, which will be your ‘takeaways'.
I am very passionate about you developing your Unstoppable system. I have seen first hand, many times, the difference it makes to people's lives, business and careers. It is very important that you stick with me until we reach the end of the book. It's a bit like a jigsaw that fits together and then you'll see the whole picture.
I've spent years studying strategy stuff. When I was completing my MBA at business school we seemed to explore every conceivable strategy. Now, at the risk of sounding a little controversial and even possibly upsetting some of my clients (I work with a great deal of accountants), in my opinion business plans are not written as ongoing working documents. Most seem to be written with a single purpose in mind at the start but are not referred to during the everyday work on the front line.
What you need then is a simple plan that's easy to follow and easy to stick with. It must be clear about where you are going, what you're going to focus on to get there and what the goals are that can chart your progress and track your actions.
Enter my (and very soon to be your own) 1-3-5 Action Plan. Your 1-3-5 will motivate you to take daily action on the most rewarding and profitable things that will absolutely accelerate your progress. When you create and then ‘live' your 1-3-5 you'll start to achieve more in a week than most drifting (possibly you before) business owners do in a month.
Your 1-3-5 will enable you to achieve better results. I'm not saying it's easy but it's worth it.
Alan Wigham, Director from Safeguard Commercial Finance, completed his Unstoppable system and said:
Pete's programme has made me realize that my Core Objectives and Goals are fundamental in the business and they must be revisited regularly if I am to achieve my Vision, they cannot stay still, as in the current age; to stay still is to go backwards! To summarize, interesting yes, a little uncomfortable yes, challenging yes, but worth it? YES.
So in answer to my opening question and the title of this chapter ‘Why Develop an Unstoppable Attitude?’ , I think it's very clear. You have challenges in your life, business and career that you are facing right now and by becoming Unstoppable you'll meet these challenges and achieve your full potential. Ultimately you'll live the life you deserve!
I bet you are motivated now!
Part Two
The Foundation
Chapter 2
Becoming Effective is All About Your Habits!
Having a solid foundation is critical to the success of your life and business. When I made the decision to complete an Ultra Endurance Triathlon I realized from my experience in business and from business school that I needed a plan. I also realized that I needed a simple plan, one that I could follow. I wanted to set myself up to succeed. Many people start a business without giving enough attention to the foundation upon which it is built. I'm sure you've heard of the phrase ‘built on shifting sand'. Come on, be honest, there's just you and me; how much time have you given to your business foundation?
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is a beautiful site. Standing at the bottom and looking up at its 1063-foot structure is awe inspiring. If you haven't had a meal in its high level restaurant, I would certainly recommend it.
The tower was built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel, and one French mathematics professor thought it would collapse at a height of 748 feet. It was thought also that it would only last 20 years; it's still standing strong over 100 years later.
One of the main reasons the tower is still a beacon of French pride is because of how Eiffel designed its foundation. Gustave intricately designed the tower's foundation, which is composed of cement and stone placed at an exact angle so that each of the four curved piers of the tower with an inward tilt of 54 degrees would maximize wind resistance and exert a perpendicular thrust to its foundation. In addition, the legs of the tower rested on sand boxes and hydraulic jacks during construction so that the metal beams at the tower's first platform could be levelled within one millimetre of the horizontal plane. (Yale Scientific, 12 May 2011, www.yalescientific.org)
So, it is fair to say that the level of focus and detail that Gustave Eiffel displayed in designing the tower is the key reason why it is still standing today. What can we learn from this?
What I am suggesting is that you look at your business and your life and build a similar style solid foundation. If you have a large business that has departments, what are the foundations like within those departments? The physical training you do when preparing for an Endurance Triathlon is all part of building a foundation so that you are able to move at pace consistently for up to 17 hours. I know for certain that when you do build that solid foundation your business will be more stable, more profitable and far more successful.
But most people don't do that. Most people have a notion of what they want to achieve, a vague idea of what success looks like and just start the process of delivering. I'm not saying taking action isn't vital; it is and I always look to execute my ideas – plus I'm constantly working on getting better at this. What I am saying is that most business owners come in on a Monday morning and just start doing what they have always done largely in the same way and expect a different result. That is not going to happen. This way of approaching your business is opportunistic. If you want to be successful in your business or even in general life, you need to get strategic! If you want a nice weekend away, you have to plan it. If you want your child to have a lovely birthday party, you have to plan it. If you want to achieve double-digit growth this year in your business, you have to plan it. It's a fact that most people spend more time planning their annual 2-week family holiday than their business or role within a business.
What is the number one goal you are currently working towards?
Completing an Ultra Endurance Triathlon was a really big achievement for me. It was the hardest physical thing I've ever undertaken, and the training is also very hard. In fact, getting to the start line in one piece is a challenge in itself. During my training plan I had to remain focused, and with Ultra Endurance training you have to be consistent.
During the first week I did 8 hours of training, which is quite substantial but it was only the start. By the time I reached the peak week, which was 5 weeks before the race, I would be training 18 hours a week! On my peak week I swam 4000 metres on Monday, rode 6 hours and 100