A few months ago, I wrote a blog post called Getting Into the Zone. It’s such an amazing feeling when you get so into your work and passion that time seems to fly by and all your tasks seem so effortless.

I love it when I get that feeling, when my passion overtakes me and I just get things done. When I’m out of my zone, I just want to get back in. Is there a way how? I know that if I try to figure it out, I have a hard time getting back in.

But when I’m in that zone, nothing can stop me. My friend Nick Outlaw wrote an article called Be Invincible. While it is heavily geared to the sports and fitness industry, a lot of the concepts can be applied to your life as an entrepreneur. It takes a strong mindset and sheer determination to succeed in business.

When you can get into that zone, you’re simply invincible. Read the article below to learn how you can Be Invincible! Please leave comments below, and let me know what you do when you’re invincible.

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Be Invincible

By: Nick Outlaw

Have you ever had a dream where you could fly and do anything you wanted without any fear or possibility of being hurt?  Normal limitations didn’t apply, like gravity or pain.  Perhaps you can remember a time when you were unstoppable and everything you did was spot on.  You were at your best, you were in the ZONE!

Here are accounts of athletes describing their experience of pinnacle performance:

“ a strange calmness; it was a type of euphoria; I felt I could run all day without tiring, that I could dribble through any of their team or all of them, that I could almost pass through them physicall.” – Edson Arantes Do Nascimento (Brazilian soccer legend Pele’)

“ It’s a very strange felling.  It’s as if time slows down and you see everything so clearly.  You just know that everything about your technique is spot on.  It just feels so effortless; it’s almost as if you’re floating across the trace.  Every muscle, every fibre, every sinew is working in complete harmony and the end product is that you run fantastically well.”  – Mark Richardson             (1996 Winter Olympics Gold medalist)

“I’m Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when it comes to football.  When I’m on the field sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing out there.  People ask me about this move or that move, but I don’t know why I did something, I just did it.  I am able to focus out the negative things around me and just zero in on what I am doing out there.  Off the field I become myself again.”  -Walter Payton  (Hall of Fame NFL running backs)

“At that special level all sorts of odd things happened….It was almost as if we were playing in slow motion.  During those spells I could almost sense how the next play would develop and where the next shot would be taken.  Even before the other team brought the ball in bounds, I could feel it so keenly that I’d want to shout to my teammates, “It’s coming there!” –except that I knew everything would change if I did.  My premonitions would be consistently correct, and I always felt then that I not only knew all the Celtics by heart but also all the opposing players, and they all knew me.”  – Bill Russell (NBA legend)

Mihaly Csikszentmikhalyi, a western psychologist and leading scientific researcher in the area of flow, a.k.a. the zone, describes the flow as completely focused motivation,  a single minded immersion that utilizes your emotions for peak performance and learning.  Csikszentmikhalyi has found 10 factors that are hallmarks of the state of flow.

1. Clear goals where expectations and rules are discernible and goals are attainable and align appropriately with one’s skill set and abilities.  Challenge level and skill should be both high.  Your practice should resemble the competition as much as possible.

2.      Concentration on a limited field of attention.  Fully focused on the task at hand. Being present in the moment.  Eliminate distractions.  Practice meditation and breathing exercises to clear your mind.

3.     A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness.  Become one with your craft.

4.     A Distorted sense of time, one’s subjective experience of time is altered.  When we were kids we would play outside for hours.

5.     Direct and immediate feedback.  Be able to assess your performance quickly and make changes immediately.

6.     Balance between ability level and challenge.

7.     A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.

8.     The activity is intrinsically rewarding, so that there is effortlessness in the action.  You must enjoy the activity.   Remember why you started playing.

9.     A lack of awareness of bodily needs.  Use the restroom before you compete, stay hydrated and fueled.

10.   Absorption into the activity, action awareness immerging.

Buddhist PhD Andrew Cooper, a leading expert and researcher of the zone, describes this phenomenon as:

“profound joy, acute intuition (which at times feels like precognition), a feeling of effortlessness in the midst of intense exertion, a sense of the action taking place in slow motion, feelings of awe and perfection, increased mastery, and self-transcendence.”

The way that the athletes have described their record breaking performances sounds dream and mystical like.  They seem to be in a trance like state where they could close their eyes and play.  To induce these peak state performances of invincibility:

1. Become one with your craft.  Put in the time to perfect your skills.
2. Love what you do.  You should associate pure joy with your craft.  When you love what you do it is no longer work.
3. Practice mindfulness and meditation.  Be able to eliminate distractions at will.  The better you are at staying focused the easier it will be for you to get and stay in the zone.
4. Practice loving self talk and self awareness.  Pay attention to your thoughts.  Be able to replace and or change negative self talk quickly.
5. Go and grow beyond yourself.  Be part of something greater than yourself.  Practice forgetting about yourself and you ego and grow for the greater good.

Being your best can not be achieved just through physical training.  We must train the mind with the same intensity and purpose of improving our game.  Spiritual practices have proven successful throughout the world before scientific methods were ever employed.  By synchronizing our body and mind, we can grow on the eternal rhythm of the universe.  Living for something greater than ourselves will truly make us invincible and our spirit unstoppable!

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About Nick Outlaw

Nick is a nationally certified through American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a personal trainer and has helped hundreds of clients change their lives in the 8 years he has been training. His experience includes, but is not limited to college and pro athletes, sports specific, strength and conditioning, functional training, post rehabilitation patients, a physical therapy clinical setting, and general fitness, toning and weight loss.

Nick has a BS from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. While attending college he competed in the Power Lifting and endurance competitions where he placed in the top three every time. His Senior Research project was an in depth study of ideal body images in American culture.

Nick’s blog is at www.raleighpersonaltrainer.org

So what exactly is this zone? How do we get in that zone? And why does it feel so good to be in the zone?

I don’t think there’s a clear definition of this, but in my experience, I know I’m in the zone when nothing else matters, when time and space seem to disappear, and when I’m in my own world of creating my desires, and feeling nothing but bliss and excitement.

I love getting into that zone when I’m writing. When I’m engulfed in my passion, I can write continuously, and not realize time is flying by. I know when I’m out of that zone when I’m feeling frustrated, or I’m trying to make things happen and it just doesn’t seem to work.

So how can we get in that zone? I don’t think there’s a process or step by step procedure we can follow to get there. It’s different for everyone, and when you start thinking of steps and procedures, then I find it nearly impossible to get into that zone.

But when I do get into that zone, I’m always in a state of joy, excitement and passion. When I’m doing what I love and am in those emotional states, then that’s when I slip into that zone and lose all track of time. It’s as if I connected directly with Spirit while I’m in the zone, as divine inspiration just keeps flowing through.

Because I’m in that zone, it’s really hard to get distracted. It feels so good, and I don’t ever want to leave. But as soon as my mind steps in and tries to analyze how I got into the zone in the first place, then I fall out of that zone, and it seems really hard to get back in.

That’s when frustration can kick in, and I crave getting back into that zone. It can be addicting like a drug; once I experience it, I just want to get back into that zone again.

So that’s why I decided not to write a step by step procedure on how to get into that zone. That defeats the whole purpose. My only suggestion is to start doing what you love, do it consistently, and feel the joy, passion and excitement run through your very core and veins. Then you’ll know you’re in that zone. Once you’re there, just keep doing it, and don’t let your mind interrupt and start analyzing it.

Good luck! Get into that zone, and start creating what you desire.

One by one, people start to join in, until the entire crowd is dancing. This is what  you call starting a movement, and it all starts with just being yourself. Enjoy!

Aside from enhancing the leadership skills of people, leadership development also serves as a way for people to reflect on their own sets of values towards work. It also paves the way for people to be inspired and motivated at all times despite challenging times and without depending so much on others.

Experts say that leadership development is a very important factor in a leader’s life because this will help him or her see things in a positive way. This will also enable him or her to overcome challenges by developing an attitude that could withstand challenging situations and failures.

If a leader is inspired and motivated, he or she is able to develop a good outlook in life. In fact, he or she might even be surprised of the things they can accomplish in a short span of time.

If you are conducting a leadership development program for your group, include the subject of motivation in your talks and activities. To help leaders who are being hindered by their personal issues, it would be best if you encourage them to:

1) Re-assess themselves. Many leaders assume that they know themselves already, so they often neglect doing self-assessment regularly. Experts say that these people often do not realize that the more they ignore self-reassessment, the more they get stuck with their own habits, leaving less room for self improvement. During leadership development, help them understand that it is best for them to know themselves very well. If they know themselves well, they will know their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Once they were able to identify all of these, it will be easier for them to set goals for themselves that are within their reach and their capabilities.

2) Start with small and simple goals. Tell them to not put too much pressure on themselves. If you just stepped into a leadership role, it’s best to tell your developing leaders to start small so they won’t feel defeated if they are unable to meet their goals initially. By starting with small and simple things, they are giving themselves the chance to accomplish bigger things ahead.

3) Keep track of their progress. This will help them find ways that would work best for them. If you do this, they will know what areas they should improve and what things they should continue doing.

Kris de Leon
(702) 635-9571
kris@krisdeleon.com
Skype: krisdeleon

I’m passionate about empowering people and helping them reach peak performance. For more articles on leadership and personal development, check out my blog http://www.krisdeleon.com

Nightingale discussed that out of 100 people that start off around the age of 25 and retire at 65, only one person will be rich, four will be financially independent, 5 will still continue to work, and 54 will be broke. He raises an interesting point – if all of them started off in similar circumstances, why did only 5% become successful? The reason for this disparity is that only 5% understood and applied the secret of success.

Before revealing the secret of success, Earl Nightingale provided the best definition of success I have heard. Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. If a person is working hard towards a predetermined goal, he is a success. If he is not working towards that goal, he is a failure. Nightingale points out that the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformity. Most people believe that life is shaped by circumstance, and they end up following everyone else. When someone is asked, “Why do you work?” He or she often replies, “Because I have to” or “Because everyone else is doing it.” Most people simply have no idea of the answer to this question. Those who are successful, however, know that they are progressing towards a worthy ideal. They have a purpose, and know exactly why they work. For example, if a school teacher loves what he is doing and knows he has a purpose to educate people, then he is a success. Success is someone who is doing a predetermined job, because he decided to do it deliberately.

So what is the secret of success? Why do so many people work hard without achieving anything, while others seem to be working with minimal effort, but seem to get everything? Do they have the golden touch? The answer is that they know and apply the secret of success – We become what we think about. Nightingale notes that this is the one thing that scholars throughout the ages agree upon. Let me repeat, we become what we think about. If you think in negative terms all the time, you get negative results. If you think in positive terms, you achieve positive results. If you think about nothing, you become nothing. Napoleon Hill said it best in his book Think and Grow Rich, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

People who apply the secret of success look for the circumstances they want. If they can’t find them, they create them. If you want to achieve great heights of success, make sure to plant a goal in your mind. Plant the seed, and then take action by working towards that goal. What you think now will determine your future. The mind is like a field – whatever you plant in it, it returns anything that you plant. Now that you know the secret of success, make sure to apply it and join the ranks of the top 5%.

Discipline is learning to say “no” to our primitive uncontrolled cravings and selfish destructive desires. We learn to develop this discipline when you can distinguish the difference between what is actually needed and what is really necessary.

It is more difficult today, than in any other time in history, to exert self-discipline because of our ability to get almost anything we want with a push of a button or swipe of a credit card. We are also constantly bombarded with advertising that enhances our cravings for things.

An important step to gaining self-control is to identify the areas where we are out of control. Work on self-denial in the areas you want to change. Deny your self a certain pleasure each day. Then begin to start small with little victories each day, like eating one less snack or watching one less television show.

Developing new routines is a key to self discipline. People who have routines tend to be more disciplined and accomplish more. If you are one of those people who have trouble with routines, try adding just one at a time. Keep it simple. Work on the things that are most important first. Evaluate yourself regularly to see how you are doing. Reward yourself for keeping at it. Once it becomes a habit, it is much easier to maintain.

Of course, routines can be done to excess, so remember to give yourself a little healthy leeway in case the unexpected comes up.

From all the episodes he appeared in, he never let us down. With the power he possesses, he makes sure to be responsible in using it for the good of the people around him.

Leadership is not at all different from being superheroes. Yes, you may not have super powers like Superman and Spiderman, but you have the authority to lead other people towards success. This is so much greater and stronger since it is a power that can be used by real people in this real world.

Hence, being a leader requires great sense of responsibility, the second quality a successful leader should attain.

The power to lead your people towards aiming your vision comes with responsibilities like making sure they are on the right direction, being aware of each and everyone’s tasks and mistakes, and putting them back on the right track when they get lost.

Who said it is easy to be a leader? Well, it is no. It comes with tons of responsibilities. True leaders are willing to accept them all.

There are instances where sometimes it makes us feel better to blame somebody or something else when something goes wrong in a task. However, good leaders should not be doing this.

A leader should take full responsibility of a task – not just before he accepts to take it, but also after it has been accomplished. As much as he is responsible for his team’s success, he should also be responsible for any failure. He represents the whole team so whatever happens to it, he is the one responsible.

Making excuses and blaming something or someone else for failed jobs is not a quality of a good leader. What he should do, instead, is to accept the fact that something went wrong with the organization, even if it is not his fault. It is normal to make mistakes. In fact, mistakes are opportunities to learn something better. As a leader, he must ensure that the team members learn from these mistakes and that these errors will not be repeated next time.

You may not have full control over other people and are not expected to have full control over their actions, but you have full control of your own reactions. Knowing what to do over unexpected and unpredictable situations will make you responsible, hence giving you the feeling of power.

I’m a believer that leaders lead by example, and that you should practice what you preach. I’m going to show you an example in real time how I’m applying what I just wrote in my series into my life.

By now, you should have received an invite to my event called “$7K in 7 Days Birthday Challenge for Charity” (http://bit.ly/fbafanevent). This is something I created recently, and I’ll show you step by step how I’m applying what I’ve written in my series of articles through this ambitious challenge.

5 Steps of the Goal Achieving Process

Step 1: Reflection and Evaluation
One of my desires in life is to become a philanthropist and set up a nonprofit in the next few years (I’ve set up my businesses to incorporate philanthropy)

Step 2: Dreaming Big Dreams
A big dream of mine is to find a cure for HIV/AIDS in my lifetime. I know a number of people affected by this, so I want to do something in my power to get there.

Step 3: Creating goal using S.M.A.R.T. formula

- Specific: $7K

- Measurable: I can track how much I’ve raised each day, and measure daily result against goal

- Attainable: At first, I thought this was beyond my capability because I’ve never raised more than $100 for a charity before. After researching, I came across a guy who raised close to $15K in 12 hours using Twitter last year (and he had probably just the same amount of experience I have)

- Realistic: It’s been done before by people with equal or less experience than me

- Time certain: Deadline by April 4 (7 days to my birthday)

Step 4: Implementation and Accountability
I’ve implemented by first creating a Facebook event page to raise awareness of this campaign, then follow through every day. I’ve done my research on people who successfully used social media to raise funds, and have borrowed some of their ideas.

I’ve asked a friend who I consider the “King of Fundraising”, since he does this for a living, to be my mentor and hold me accountable.

Step 5: Repeat process
I’ll evaluate my progress daily and make changes where necessary.

http://bit.ly/fbafanevent

I will keep you updated, but I would like to ask you for some help with this (as you can’t do anything alone), and you need a Mastermind group (hence why I created this group). I’d be grateful if you can help in any way, whether it be monetary contribution, creating buzz, promoting this event, advice, or simply RSVP “Attending” and post positive comments to show moral support. Whether or not you believe in my cause, I’d be grateful for any kind of help. Click here for details: http://bit.ly/fbafanevent

As of this writing, while 168 people RSVPed “Not Attending” against 20 who wrote “Attending”, I’m not going to let this discourage me. My vision by the end of April 4 is to write the following status update “Thank you everyone! Kris exceeded the $7K in 7 Days Birthday Challenge for Charity”.

Kind regards,
Kris

702-475-5733
Skype: krisdeleon
krisdeleon78@gmail.com

You can get better results and quality output if you just focus on one activity and stay with it for a sustained period of time. This is like athletes who reach peak performance and stay “in the zone” for quite a long time. They do so by creating a success cycle. My mentor suggested to structure goals around a 90 day time frame. Within those 90 days, break it down into three 30 day cycles.

Here is one success cycle example – let’s say your main goal is to become more proficient in social media marketing in the next 90 days. Break that success cycle down by focusing on each of three platforms of social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In. You could spend the first 30 days mastering the basics of Facebook marketing. Spend the next 30 days learning Twitter and how to properly use that tool for marketing. Finally, spend the last 30 days understanding how to use Linked In. Try not to get distracted by learning all three platforms at the same time. You will lose concentration, feel overwhelmed, and risk burning out. However, by focusing on one platform within a 30 day block, you will feel less overwhelmed and master the concepts more quickly. Mastery of the basics and how to use each medium well will lead to better results in the long run.

Once you achieve your quarterly goal through focused effort, make sure to complete the success cycle by including a rest period before you start with pursuing your next quarterly goal. The human body can only push for so long without breaking down or burning out. While some of us think we can work like a machine, we do not have super hero powers, so we start to wear down and became mentally and emotionally exhausted. You cannot keep such an intense focus for long periods of time without proper recovery.