Mindset of a Champion: From Average to Extraordinary

In November of 2012 I decided to join professional network/entrepreneurial brain trust.

The rationale was simple, successful people don’t succeed on their own.

There are two parts to the program:

• Monthly interviews with a wide array of brilliant people, masters and advisors that have helped countless people with productivity, health, psychology, and more
• Membership to an exclusive community of ambitious professionals to hold you accountable, encourage you, and help you live a Rich Life

I read as much (or more) than anyone I know, but reading is a time consuming endeavor.

This brain trust provides access to knowledge, wisdom and proven strategies that top performers use to…

1. Get more done
2. Stay focused
3. Earn more money

Below is a video preview and my notes from 11-time Jeopardy champion and Daily Beast columnist Arthur Chu discussing, among other things, an unconventional approach to taking risks, how to strategically create a psychological advantage over your opponents, and developing a champion’s mindset in your career or business

• Top performers know that you give yourself every advantage. You go in with the right strategy. You execute flawlessly, and you implement the use of systems.
• It’s much better to maximize the leverage you have with what you already know than try to learn a bunch of stuff you don’t know.
• Drill yourself: Do the boring stuff over and over so that there are no surprises.
• Too many people abdicate control (e.g. “I want to see if the universe rewards me.”)
  • If you just go in and let chance play out, you might lose your dream job just because of random stuff you couldn’t control that day.
• If something *is* allowed by the rules, why shouldn’t you do it?
• If you can make it harder for yourself, but the differential is even harder for your opponents then that gives you the edge
• You must understand: What is the battle and what is the war?
  • Focus on the number one thing that’s going to be the biggest win.
  • Ramit’s example: “I built a very successful business with terrible head shots.”
• There’s something to be said for authenticity even if it makes people uncomfortable.
• If you listen to mass feedback you will end up like the masses, dilute your personality and lose your people.
• The more successful you get, the more criticism you’re probably going to get. That’s counter-intuitive for some people.
• To go easy on someone is patronizing. (I’ve personally always felt this way. Just run up the score.)
• Maximizing your chances of winning means not taking unnecessary risks.
  • One key to this is following rules you set up for yourself when you’re at your best so you don’t have to expend unnecessary mental energy in the moment.
• When facing criticism ask, “Does this criticism hold any fundamental value for me?”
• Money gives you the luxury to not care about money.
• If you want to make things happen, you have to picture what you want to happen and then make it happen.
• Expose yourself to a diversity of opinions.
  • Use Ramit’s D to C principle. Dismissive to curious means to put your negativity or skepticism for something aside and instead find out what you can learn from it.

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If you want access to all my interview notes, and additional insight and analysis on the mindsets and strategies that other top performers use, please subscribe below: