This year at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, player Bernard Tomic was fined a record amount of £45,000, with officials ruling that he “did not perform to the required professional standard”.
The fine represented his full Wimbledon prize money for a game where his opponent defeated him within just 58 minutes. This player also has form, having been fined £15,000 back in 2017 following a defeat where he admitted feeling ‘bored’ .
We find that the vast majority of people have an iAM value about achievement, making a difference and/or having a positive impact – we like to get things done – so what is it that gets in the way?
We often don’t think we can do things, when we can! Instead, we can listen to those negative thoughts that stop us achieving or going for things, and it’s these negative thoughts that keep us thinking all about ourselves. We can get unknowingly constrained within habits and routines that can take the spontaneity out of our lives, especially our lives at work. Keeping us on a transactional treadmill, robotically going through our ‘to do’ list and stopping us being creative, inspiring and powerful. Becoming the opposite of Courageous Success, the verb, which is maximising who you are and what you are capable of and being braver. We can all choose to control those negative thoughts and not listen to them. Choose not to succumb to self-doubt, complacency, boredom and coasting. Take the focus off ourselves ‘that’s not inspiring me’, to ‘that could inspire others to make a significant positive difference’. Choosing to make a change and make the effort.
In our experience work ethic is about attitude and being attuned to others rather than ourselves, serving others or creating a purpose to be useful and helpful. Moving away from ‘what’s in it for me?’ to asking, ‘how can I be most useful?’
If you are ever feeling like Tomic rather than Federer, here are some tips to help you:
- Take accountability for making your work good, create a purpose that will inspire you.
- Choose to be positive and believe you make a difference.
- Remember that where you work is actually a group of human beings that service others in some way – all wanting to do their best – they are not there to service just you and your needs.
- Smile! Enjoy what you are doing and do it in a way that reflects the very best of what you are good at, and truly reflects you at heart. If you are not enjoying it – find a way to and take accountability for your mood.
- Galvanise your courage when faced with challenges – believe you can do it.
- Consider: what is my personal impact on others? What am I radiating to others?
- Create a personal mantra for your way of being, and then express it to make others feel special, supported, connected, helped.
- Be yourself and believe that the best person you can be is you.