Grow or Die

Clever Parents is very excited to introduce a new column by one of our favorite Clever Parents, Coach Troy Jacobson. Troy is an accomplished triathlete, businessman, and trainer to elite professional and Olympic athletes (see his Clever Parents spotlight).

COACH TROY'S COMMENTARY - "Grow or Die" I have a question for you to ask yourself. What is your current state of momentum? Are you moving in the direction of positive results or in the direction of negative results? Think about it for a moment and then read the rest of this commentary.

Ok… so what was your conclusion? Positive or negative? Oh, and if you say, 'I'm neutral' or 'indifferent' right now then the answer is that you're in a negative state of momentum.

Momentum is so important that your success in life in dictated by your general state of it on a daily basis. Someone who is in a state of positive momentum is always 'reaching' for something more, taking calculated risks and setting the stage for better things to happen in the future. On the contrary, those with 'negative momentum' are either doing things that are counterproductive (like overeating, drinking too much, spending too much money) or doing nothing (like procrastinating, not exercising daily, neglecting making sales calls, avoiding new opportunities for personal growth, etc.).

I like to read about success in business and sport and one of my favorite 'quotes' by a famous CEO is 'Grow or Die.' What this means is that you must always be striving for bigger and better. Sure, you can 'rest and smell the roses' occasionally… and you should because it is recuperative and energizes you to move forward. Once that brief 'smelling of the roses' is over though, you have to start moving forward and work towards getting smarter, bigger, stronger and better. If you don't work towards growth (professionally, personally, spiritually) you'll become complacent and stagnate. And guess what happens once you 'stop' and 'stagnate'? The slow process of gradual deterioration starts, the world and time keep marching on and the negative momentum sets in and eventually, if not stopped, can take you to the bottom.

Ok, now that you get the point and understand why continual improvement and growth is so critical, let's get you on the track to building positive momentum (if you're not already!). How you ask? By starting with a single step in the right direction.

So, if you have been avoiding exercise, start with 5 minutes on the treadmill and then stop. If you need to do your taxes, start by collecting your receipts and putting them on the table, and then walk away. You get the idea? By doing small things 'headed' in the right direction, you start to build your positive momentum towards achieving whatever your goal might be!! You'll be amazed at how powerful simply taking a small step in the right direction can be!

That's all for today. Start building that positive momentum now. I guess I should get those receipts ready for my accountant!

Troy Jacobson…
Coach Troy Jacobson, father to his daughter Hope, is a former professional triathlete, an accomplished businessman a noted expert in the field of personal development. For more information about his programs, visit www.strongandfocused.com.

Troy's column is excerpted from his email newsletter, which you can find at www.coachtroy.com.


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