Winning the Mental Game of Self-Management

Is your work and life organization out of control? Do you read all the time management books but still never seem to have enough time? Take a page out of the peak performer's book of life and hear what they do to organize, choose tasks wisely, execute well, achieve highly and enjoy their success at the same time.

Here are ten mental game success strategies that peak performers use in self-management.

1. Know What Motivates You: Top producers know what makes them tick. They know what it takes to get the creative, competitive juices flowing. They know how to tap their passion and create the energy needed for a project. They assess what they enjoy and what motivates them and then seek opportunities to match those energies.

2. Be Self-Aware So You Have Options: People who race through their day are like a race car driver. The view around them is a blur. Slow down to notice your options and be able to sense new opportunities. This does not mean to move slowly, but to create such a mental state that you have clarity over your day. You create this clear focus by starting each day and each task with a quiet time that realigns you with your purpose, mission and values. The quiet brings you into the zone of peak performance.

3. Have A Bias Towards Action: Reflection, planning and strategizing is essential. When the time comes to act, the peak performer goes for it full out. This person also is aware of how much time they devote to pulling the lens back to see the big picture, and they pride themselves on taking action above all else.

4. Realize That You Never Arrive: Listen to high achievers and they all say that they wish they knew early on that success and happiness is not something "out there" in the future. Success is striving toward a goal while being content and grateful for what you have today. Seek your dreams with reverence for the gifts you have been given now and don't put happiness off until something "better" arrives. Use your happiness and love for life as a springboard for even more success every day.

5. Use Success To Energize Yourself: Do you celebrate your large, obvious successes? Do you celebrate the smaller, day-to-day victories? Peak performers do both and more. They seek opportunities to reinforce their efforts so they are continually energized and motivated to stay on track and to perform at higher levels more often.

6. Realize That Life Is A Do-It-Yourself Project: Peak performers don't wait for anyone to save them, or to coach them, or to help them overcome obstacles. They of course seek help as needed, but first and foremost they take an "I must help myself first approach to life". They realize that success begins and ends with them, and that they must take the initiative in helping themselves first.

7. Understand That Life Is Not A Dress Rehearsal: Life is short. Life is unpredictable. Life needs to be lived today, in the present. Peak performers carry a continual sense of mortality around to remind themselves that every second is precious and that we only get one go-around, so they realize this had better be their best, highest-quality effort.

8. Get Ready To Act: Peak performers use rituals, or psych-up systems to prepare themselves for springing into action with laser focus. They purposely take time before any "performance" to mentally, physically and emotionally get ready so they are operating optimally for that special moment.

9. Use Journaling To Stay On Track: Top performers use a written journal to sharpen self-awareness, have a place to brag to themselves about victories, make corrections, dream, see connections, set goals and objectives and have a private confidant. They cherish this private time to collect thoughts, re-energize and re-focus.

10. Understand Yourself And Stop Procrastination: To ignore something you must do is actually a decision you made not to do it. Productive people decide to have the mental discipline it takes to make reasoned decisions, to hold themselves accountable and to minimize the number of tasks that they "forgot about". They realistically assess what is possible and release those to-do's that are not in their sphere of duties or interest.

Your Mental Game Action Plan:

What action will you take this week in becoming better at self-management? Here are three questions to get you started.

1. What system can you develop to increase awareness about yourself as an organizer? Can you hire a coach? Work with a friend? Write in a journal?

2. How can you celebrate your successes more often to create energy and momentum for achieving? Instead of waiting for the "big" success at the end of a month, quarter or year, what can you view as a success worthy of enjoying every day?

3. How will you translate what you learn about yourself into immediately useful action? How can you be so aware that you know how to motivate yourself, create more urgency to achieve, enjoy the process more, and get more done? Peak performers realize that life is fleeting. They create a healthy sense of urgency to energize and propel themselves along their exciting path. Take a page out of their book and write your own success chapters in that very important book--your life.