There is zero risk in going after elite, exceptional performance.  All the risk is in being average.  – Brian Kight

 

Elite performance is not based on others . . . It is based on you.  You have a discipline-driven decision to make.  Will you be the average you or the elite you?

 

Your skill and talent doesn’t limit you . . . your personal discipline determines your success.

Great leaders don’t always get great results right away.  That’s why their vision, guiding principles, grit, and commitment are so important.  – Jon Gordon

 

What is your vision?  What are your guiding principles?  Are you committed?

 

You aren’t going to get great results right away.  You aren’t going to get great results every time.  It takes the willingness to try.  It takes the commitment to see your work though to conclusion.

 

In fact, it’s bigger than your work.  You are modeling your vision, principles, grit, and commitments to others.  Not only are you, as a leader and as the only person who controls your 20 sq. ft., working on your vision but you are showing others how to intentionally live their lives.

Just because you have a negative thought doesn’t mean you have to believe it.  A thought only has power if we give it energy.  – Jon Gordon

 

No one talks to you each and every day more than you.  Your self-talk largely determines your attitude.  You can listen to the negative thoughts – the blame, complain, and defend thoughts that creep into your mind.  You can give energy to the negative . . . you can be your own energy vampire.

 

OR . . . You can hear that negative thought in your self-talk and make a discipline-driven decision.  You can intentionally say “no” in your self-talk.  Don’t give your negative thoughts energy.  It’s natural to have the self-conversation.  It takes discipline to purposefully force the positive to overpower the negative.

 

Optimism is contagious . . . Optimism is a habit that requires repetitions and practice.  Practice optimism . . . Give energy to your optimistic self.

There’s nothing more powerful than a humble person with a servant’s heart and a warrior spirit who is driven by a bigger purpose.  – Brian Kight

 

Our purpose in public education is simple . . . we do what we do to serve our students.  We do what we do to prepare the next generation of American doctors, business leaders, and yes, teachers.  We have a monumental purpose.

 

We do what we do with heart, with passion, and with intentionality.  We work to provide both academic and life skills to our students.  We know we must impart more than books smarts; we must provide life smarts.

 

We will make mistakes.  We won’t get it right every day.  With humility, with a mindset of growth, and with a purpose-driven commitment we will succeed.  Our work is difficult; we are warriors for kids.  We shape the future.

Nine-tenths of discipline is having the patience to do things right.  – Pat Summit

 

My high school wrestling coach would always say, “you wrestle in matches like you wrestle in practice.”  His point . . . practice right.  When we take shortcuts in our preparations, when we go through the motions, it ultimately shows in our performance.

 

We tell our students, “do the right thing even when no one is watching.”  Rushing to “just finish” an assignment or copying someone’s homework is indisciplined . . . it isn’t the right way to do things.

 

Living a discipline-driven life, living our lives Above the Line, requires that we put in the work . . . it requires that we do things right.  From the Hall of Fame coach to the second grade teacher, it takes patience and commitment to do things right.

We always do better when we are confident, regardless of what we are doing.  – Joe Maddon

 

For me, confidence is the feeling that I am prepared to be successful.  I know that I’ve put in the work – both mental and physical – to do what is required of me in the situation.

 

We are confident because we have both the skill and the mindset.  We aren’t confident because we know we can “rise” to the situation.  We are confident when we know our training has prepared us.  We have thought about the options, we have reviewed predicable outcomes, and we remain focused on our vision.

 

I’m not taking about irrational confidence, but earned confidence.  The confidence in our repetitions, our skills, and our discipline.   This is what sets us apart – we build skill and make a difference.

Positive intensity is a motivator.  Negative intensity is a demotivator.  – Tim Kight

 

Positive intensity brings encouraging energy.  Positive energy is inspirational . . . it motivates with confidence.

 

Negative intensity creates fear.  Negative intensity brings doubt . . . it discourages confidence.

 

Our goal is to motivate . . . to bring energy . . . to inspire a passion for growth.  Our goal is to understand that failure isn’t an end, but an opportunity for future growth and improvement.  We must commit to positive intensity – to being discipline in our interactions.

I BELIEVE IN YOU.  These four words can mean the difference between fear of failure and courage to try.  – Mike Krzyzewski

 

What I do is limited to my capabilities and actions.  What I inspire others to do is limitless.  As individuals, we are limited . . . as teams we are unlimited.  We must trust and believe in other people; we must inspire the courage to try.

 

We all know people who feel the need to do everything themselves.  We know people who insist that the only way, is their way.

 

I believe in you . . . I believe not only can you get this done, but I believe you have the courage to try and the commitment to a growth mindset.  Not only do I believe in you, I believe that you will learn, improve, and continue on our journey.   Not only do I believe in you . . . I believe that we can do this better than me!

 

Inspire confidence in others . . . believe in the limitless capacity of the team . . . empower the courage to try.

The more you feed your mind with positive thoughts, the more you can attract great things into your life.  – Roy Bennett

 

No one talks to you more than you; your self-talk determines your attitude.  For each of us, an attitude of hope, an attitude of gratitude, creates positive thoughts.  When we are positive, good things happen for us.  When you are optimistic, great things happen in your life.

 

Think about it for a moment . . . think about the times you’ve been negative, pessimistic, and defensive.  Did you perform at your best?  Do you look back on your “negative self” and think “this is a person I want to be?”  No . . . you would never strive to be negative.  You would never start the day saying, “I want to be my most negative self today . . . I want to make others sink to my level of negativity.”

 

Today . . . be intentional and skillful to keep positive thoughts flowing.  Today . . . remove yourself from negative people – call out those energy vampires on your team.  Feed your positive self and bring optimism to others . . . it will bring great things into your life.

Be so invested in your craft that you don’t have time to listen to the naysayers.  No time for negativity.  You’re too busy creating your future.  – Jon Gordon

 

In today’s instant gratification, complain now society, it is often difficult to tune-out the noise.  It is so easy for anyone – any everyone – to place blame.  It is an easy trap, even for the most discipline among us, to fall into.  Something happens . . . service isn’t what we expect at a restaurant or the coach doesn’t start our child . . . so we immediately take to social media or shoot off a hostile email.

 

As educators, as leaders, we face a constant barrage of criticism and blame.  Honestly, I don’t believe it is from the majority; in my judgement we’ve made it incredibly easy for the vocal minority to yell with increased volume.  Social media and electronic communication has given naysayers a megaphone and an instant captive audience.

 

We must live with the courage of our convictions and the willingness to embrace the discomfort of telling truth to naysayers . . . the challenge of being so invested in our work that we do not – we will not – permit those who Blame, Complain, and Defend (BCD) to take us off course.  Our journey is to urgent – our work is shaping the future – to permit negative, pessimistic, and grumpy people to distract us.  We are too busy creating the future.