Defeating the Enemy of Average

The only thing standing in the way of you achieving your most essential priorities in life and your business is the Enemy of Average. Who is this foe that we need to understand and defeat in order to accomplish all the worthwhile things we are here on this planet to do?

Your Toughest Decision

I feel that your hardest decision is that of deciding what is critically important for you or your business and why. Once you have identified what it is that you want to do, only then can you go down the path to find the people and resources that can help leverage your talents and gifts in order to make it happen.

When was the last time that you spent time contemplating what is critically important that you want to accomplish?

Recognizing the Enemy of Average?

For the samurai, the ninja were enemies. Ninja were highly trained mercenary like clans. Wikipedia Ninja offers a history lesson on the ninja if you are so inclined to further research their culture through the ages. Some salient traits of the ninja that you may find interesting follows:

Masked face to hide their identity
Hide their sword behind their back for easy carrying and to trick someone into thinking they are unarmed
Sneak around in the dark
Masters of discipline
Wrong motives tied to the next job or retainer – single or short term focus

How does the ninja relate to the Enemy of Average?

The Enemy of Average seeks out intentional ways to stop you from accomplishing your most essential priorities. This enemy causes you to hide your excellence and dull your natural born brilliance. When you fall prey to this attack you tend to hide your talents and capabilities so as to not standout from the crowd. You begin living average instead of living from a mindset of excellence.

How does a Samurai overcome the Enemy of Average?

Samurai are a special class of military nobility who through the generations and through thousands of years adhered to and transmuted a code called Bushido. Bushido is the “Way of the Warrior”. Each samurai had this personal code that they lived by. The code or bushido guided their commitment to community, family, and self through a strong set of values that they fought for and never compromised.

The meaning of samurai is also translated as “to serve”. The samurai lived to serve others and they walked boldly and courageously in the face of each day. The samurai lived from a large and clearly defined mission and vision statement.

You have an Enemy of Average lurking around you each day that would love for you to not live a life of excellence. Your job is to defeat these mental tricks that fake you out from accomplishing your essential priorities. You will recognize the Enemy of Average whenever you may hear yourself or others say things such as:

Everyone else does it

It doesn’t hurt anyone but me

I know that already

Next time I will ___________

Tomorrow I will ___________

I can wait until later to ____________

Someday I will _____________

These are all diversions that are put in your path to keep you from being great each day. How you overcome these diversions is by establishing your own Code of Behaviour that will enable you to defend against these diversions as you forge ahead down your path of achievement.

Your Map to Excellence

Defeating the Enemy of Average requires a very simple map that can help you create black belt level clarity, focus and discipline in order to help you define and live a life of excellence.

Quite simply, you start with defining your vision and mission. This follows up by your own Code of Behaviour to help guide your choices and actions each moment of every day. You then assess the various rituals that govern and shape your life, assessing what works, what doesn’t and what you want to improve.

Rituals then build habits which are a necessary foundation to accomplishing more than you ever imagine! Once you have strong habits installed, you begin to create consistency. Consistency alone could be a whole day workshop to explore. When you have consistency working for you, you are able to create “predictable success”.

Our next article in the Fundamental Success Indicators™ series will show you the key elements in establishing your Code of Behaviour.

About the Author Shane Fielder

I am a grower of human capability and a business builder. The best part of my life is helping people become stronger and develop their skills, talents and character in order to lead powerful lives. I have had the great privilege to study under some of the greatest minds of business, leadership, health and fitness along with the most talented Martial Arts instructors. My passion is helping people to become even more powerful in life than they already are.