The summer of 1995 two teams with one mission Championship!

                                                                                 

                                                                

      One decision leads to choose sports of school!

     It was early 1995 and I was 24 years old in my last year of a four year co-op business administration program at Centennial college in Scarborough, Ont. 

   I was excited to graduate and go on to my next chapter of my life. It was during this time I made a decision that at the time seemed as an easy one, play ball hockey for the summer!  I participated  in many sports in my early 20's baseball,  basketball and tennis to name a few.

 So I signed up to play for two ball hockey teams in two different divisions playing a Rinx (Dufferin and Orfus area)  

  This is a story of success and few failures (lessons) along the way.

The NY Chiefs Season 

 Team 1was the NY Chiefs a group of very talent player that I had been playing with for a few years, it wasn't easy to convince co- captains Nelson and Jorge that I should play for them. I wasn't in the beat of shape at the time yet I had amazing ball handling skills and great shot!  

                                                                     Not in the best shape

  In the end I was in and and would mostly play on the fourth line meaning very little playing time during games, mostly if we were winning by more than 2 or more goals. I was okay with it and was always ready to go!

                                                                            Thunderbolt & Lighting

    Fernando was massing guy who also had a great game and I was little smaller than him so the Thunderbolt & Lightning line was created!   When we were on the floor literally the floor shook! 

   Team 2  was the Screaming Eagles the complete opposite of the NY Chiefs a collection of players of various talents from  good, bad to ugly!

   Being on this team was certainly going to be a huge challenge!  The season previous we were called the Aruba Tigers (see jersey below) so we had a few returning players and we renamed ourselves the Screaming Eagles, our jersey was that of the Washington Capitals (see below)

              

                                                                                 The seasons begin!

   I remember walking in for a first game of the season with the NY Chiefs and  convenor  Jeff says " You guys are going to win it all!"  I was happy mostly and little bit dismayed that the rest of the teams had no chance!

  Meanwhile Jeff made no such comment regarding the Screaming Eagles chances.

                                                                           The undefeated season in peril

  It was mid- season with the NY Chiefs and we were on a role! we were 6 wins and no losses and in the current game we were playing in late May were in a 1-1 going into the 3rd period

  I remember sitting at the end of the bench with Fernando chatting away and encouraging our fellow teammate when we heard Jorge say " Thurnderbolt and Lighting you are on next do what you do and get us one!"  

  I was shocked and looked at Fernando and said "Does he mean score a goal or just forecheck and be useful!"  Fernando turns around and says 'No Jim let's make it happen I will clear the way and you shoot and hit the net!"

                                                                             I ended up in the net!

  We hope over and literally everyone stood up the oppose team, people in the stands intently watching us play the sport we love with so much focus.

  All I remember was I was playing center  and was going to the net hoping to tip or knock in a loose ball into the net!

     Next thing you know I am running in and get in the zone, Fernando just shoot the ball in front of the next and honestly didn't even feel that I tipped the ball in the net, because I was ended up physically in the net!

                                                                                       We win the game!!!

     It liked forever to extract myself from the opposing net as opposing players were giving me some extra physical punishment.

  Eventually I make it to the bench and all my teammate were congratulating me on a well deserved winning goal. Fernando was super happy for me as I had scored the goal. I said to Fernando " just like you told me the only thing you forgot was all the hits I took!"

                                                                                        

                                                                                   Medal for 1st star

     We were all in the dressing room and Jeff walks in with a small medal (see below) and gives to me saying " Great goal Jim!'  I responded "Thanks Jeff!"

The season continued and we finished first with undefeated record with 14 wins and no losses and 1 tie

 We made it all the way to the finals and won the trophy (see below)

The Screaming Eagles season 

   The screaming eagles team was an assortment of players of varied skills and it was going to take lots of practice and patience to make it successful season.

  Rob Nicolic and I were co- captains and we truly believed we could make the playoffs and then see what happens!

  The season  began and we played  very poorly and we knew something had to done.  The only thing we could do was hold practices and have the players work on their game.

  As the season continued we began to play better and win some games. Instead of our opponent thinking they had a easy win they actually had to play hard to beat us!

   We made the playoffs we celebrated in the dressing room as if we had won the Stanley Cup!!!

                                                             The Playoffs and the determination

     To this day I don't even remember how we did it. It pure focus and determination that we could do it as a TEAM.

  In the coming weeks get through two round and into the FINALS!

   We would get to the rink and everyone would be excited and focus for the game.

  In the end we end up losing and get a secondary trophy (see below)

                                                                          Failures (Lessons)

    Remember earlier I mentions that it my last year of college.  Well during the final playing for the Screaming Eagles I had a final exam for Organizational Behaviour that I didn't pass because made the choice to play the rather than study the exams

  Ended up taking that course and few others in night school and getting all A's!

                                                                      Moral of this story 

      I did what I love and look at the trophies and medal all the time and truly remember the summer of 95 was a special and memorable in so many ways!

 

  

                                                                             

      

  

 

                                                                   

Special Guest Post; Five public speaking tips for people who fear public speaking

   

The big presentation is just a few days away. You're expected to deliver big ideas and cover key points. The audience could be managers, co-workers, clients, or suppliers. Are you nervous? If you are, don't worry. Over 70% of adults fear public speaking. But there are some simple things you can do to relieve that anxiety and give a presentation that captures attention and influences ideas. Focus on concepts instead of content. No one wants to hear about budgets or statistics. These can be shared through a handout or by email. People want to hear ideas and stories that capture their attention and lead to a conclusion. Which for you is a good thing as it's easier to tell a story than to memorize data. When designing your presentation, continuously ask yourself "what's the point". Then create content that helps you get to it.   Have a conversation. Many speakers go into auto pilot, sounding like a pre-recorded message, never changing pace or acknowledging the audience. Instead, think of it as having a conversation with friends. If you say something funny and people laugh, stop talking and let them. If someone has a question, welcome it. You can then answer right away or let them know you'll come back to it shortly.   Be slow. When people are nervous, they tend to speak fast. Speaking too quickly makes the audience feel rushed. Try to talk slower than you would in a normal conversation. It might sound weird to you on stage, but to your audience you'll sound relaxed and confident. If you find yourself getting flustered or feeling overwhelmed, just pause and take a deep breath. They will not mind waiting.   Make PowerPoint your assistant, not your boss. It's not the number of slides you have that matter. It's what's on them. Avoid lots of text, and never ever read a slide to the audience. A simple picture that supports your point will be much more influential and visually interesting. Using photos instead of text will also give you the freedom to go off script or adlib without being out of sync with your slides.   Lower your standards (for yourself). Everyone in the audience knows it's not a Broadway show. They're not expecting to be entertained or for an award winning performance. In most cases they'll be happy if they're not bored to tears. So relax, have some fun, and know that everyone in the room wants you to succeed. Cheers, Marc Gordon marcgordon.ca

Journey of reading books and what I have learned so far

        It has been a great experience reading various books on personal development and other topics. Look forward to sharing more insights on my reading journey in future blogs this year.

    Currently reading a amazing real estate book and won a book at event in late January (see below)

                                       

Millionaire Real Estate Agent

The Profitable Professional

Digital Minds

                                             




                   

Special Post: 15 Success Rules from James Erdt

                                                                    

Special Spotlight: James McNaughton (Olympian)

1st What interested you in the bobsled?

My career in bobsled started quite differently from the traditional childhood dream becomes reality story! 

 I grew up loving adrenaline sports and fast machines.  In high school I was introduced to football and fell in love with the team dynamics, the explosive nature of the sport and the dedication to training that it required.  My football career continued at the University of Ottawa, where I dreamed of playing professional football one day. 

Everything was on track to make a run at the CFL as I was playing well, and was in excellent physical condition, until a conversation I had with Bill (my best friend, high school teammate, home town training partner, and rival- he played at McMaster University).  He had watched the movie "Cool Runnings" which sparked the conversation of how odd of a sport bobsled was.  We began to question how anyone, especially people from Jamaica get involved in such an obscure sport. 

This led to subsequent conversations after researching the sport a bit, of: "Man, they have open try outs across Canada, we should go out just to tell our kids one day that we tried out for the Canadian Bobsled team" to "Hey, I looked up the testing criteria, and we actually might be really good at this".  That's when things became a little more serious. 

We were both in excellent physical condition as we took our training extremely serious, and pushed one another to the limit in our workouts. 

 We decided we'd give this a real shot, and changed our training programs to peak for the ID camp that was being held in July at York University. 

 After showing the coaches what we had in terms of speed and power, we were flown out to Calgary to see if we could actually push, and I guess the coaches were not disappointed, as the direction of both of our lives changed drastically.

  Next thing we knew, my best friend and I are appointed to the Canadian Bobsleigh team and are going to be competing internationally! 

 Our next goal was to compete on the same sled at the 2014 Winter Olympics, but those dreams grinded to a halt in January when Bill was involved in the worst crash bobsleigh had witnessed in over 30 years.  He was hospitalized for several weeks with severe head and back injuries, and was unable to recover enough to return to the sport. 

 I was pretty freaked out after having my best friend nearly die but decided that I would not let our dreams die, and used that accident to motivate me when training got hard and competition got tough, and it helped me make it to Sochi. 

Talk about a curve ball in my life!

  I had unknowingly been training for this sport all along, and ended up representing our country at the biggest sporting event in the world 3 years after discovering the sport! 

2nd What lesson can you share from journey to the Olympics in Sochi

The best lesson I can share from my journey to the Sochi Olympics is that hard work pays off.  I had a lot of work to do to be ready to compete at the Olympics 3 years after discovering the sport! 

 This meant I had to give up a lot in order to get up to speed, meaning, no more cottage weekends, no more parties, no more junk food, just train, eat, train, sleep, train!

 Looking back, I have zero regrets for making those sacrifices, and the only memories I have of those hard years of training are the spoils of all of that work! 


3rd Can you share a strategy or lesson that entrepreneurs can share in their business.

 Don't worry about the end result, focus on the journey!  This motto is what guides me through life, and I can say for certain that I owe all of my achievements to it! 

In the 3 years leading up to the Olympics, I was named an alternate every single year.  My family and friends were always questioning why I wasn't named to a team right away, and I even received some advice along the lines of "You don't honestly think you'll make the Olympics do you?  Maybe you should just give it up and get a real job.". 

As in life, nothing is just handed to you, and instead of worrying about how I wasn't named to a team, or how I had lost in a sprint to the guy who was gunning for my spot on the sled, I worried about what I could control at the moment, and that was, how I could improve to get on a team, or to beat that guy in a sprint.  I needed to always be moving forward and couldn't afford to waste my time worrying about things that were out of my control. 

 If I did that, I knew the results would come, and sure enough, they did!  I wasn't much of an "individual tester" meaning I didn't perform as well on my own as I did with my team, however, teams are chosen based on individual testing results.  Each season, after being named an alternate, I was able to beat out my competition within the first couple of weeks of the season, and was always a member of the team for World Championships and the big one, the Olympics! 

 Had I let the end result guide journey, I would have seen each obstacle I faced as a major failure, and I can tell you for certain that I would not have made it to the Olympics! 

 Focusing all of my energy on the journey, helped me address the little things that you very easily overlook when you are only thinking about the end result. 

 My best advice for any entrepreneur is to slow it down, take things day by day, and know that if you are giving something your all, you will end up exactly where you want to be!

Book Review: Secrets from the Brain- Sharpen Your Thinking Power Your Performance

                                                                              






      In amazing book that goes into the aspect of understanding the human brain the using effective case studies that you learn, do and apply. These example and illustration share a picture on why we do the things we do in various situations.

  We grow and learn on a daily basis using brain that will learn and store so much information of experiences we go through. Read this book give you aspects to understand the thought process and how over thousand of years that it has evolved yet in its simplicity it a very powerful and effective live and learning muscle.

      
   Lorie Saxby Learn more

   Phyllis Hiebert Learn more

Time Management issue PLUS a BONUS #11

 

I've previously shared all 10 of our 10 Steps to correct your Time Management issue PLUS a BONUS #11.  They were:

 

Step #1:   Set the Objective and reverse engineer the process

Step #2:   Chunk Down

Step#3:    START the work

Step #4:   Negotiate time & interruptions with stakeholders

Step #5:   Time Block & Batch Process

Step #6:   "Put the first thing first" (Stephen Covey)

Step #7:   Write down Weekly commitments

Step #8:   Reward & Recognize and sometimes......punish

Step #9:   Time Management issues reside in FEAR of something

Step #10:  Be The Business-Warrior

Bonus Step #11:  "DO" there is no "TRY"

 

So now what? 

 

You have 11 brilliant ideas about how to resolve your Time Management issues.  What are you going to do about it?

 

First "DO" something!

 

But what can you do when Step #9 says the majority of all Time Management issues are based in FEAR, a FEAR of doing something.

 

Now there is a cunundrum!  "I need to do something but I'm affraid to do something"

 

Well I have two recommendations on what you should do next:

1. If you are in the Greater Toronto Area then REGISTER RIGHT NOW...RIGHT HERE, get control of your business, get control of the CHAOS, touch the future of your business, see what needs to be done and hear great ideas on how to set FEAR aside.  Join me as I facilitate The Power of FOCUS & Accountability on Business Success workshop on Saturday May 10..YES this Saturday at SpringHill Suites, 612 Applewood Cres, Vaughan, Ontario starting at 9:00AM.  Some seats remain.  Register...NOW...to reset the business course to SUCCESS...HERE
2. If you are outside of the GTA then I'm pleased to offer on a limited time basis (exp May 31/14) our home study program, FOCUS Yourself; A 7 Module Business Plan program, a $500 value for...wait for it...FREE.  Just send an email to our Director of Events & Promotions and tell Gwen that James said you could have FOCUS Yourself for FREE!  Click right HERE NOW!

I've now shared our 10-Easy Steps to Conquer Time Management.  If you're still STUCK then you need to remedy the problem right...NOW...so click HERE for the perfect resource to get you back to business health & wealth.  Or if you are outside of the GTA send Gwen that email and ask for our home study program FOCUS Yourself for FREE.  Just click HERE

 

If you seriously want to become a Business-Warrior and set aside Time Management and so many other issues of business FOCUS & Accountability, then do what hundreds of other Business-Warriors have done before you and click right HERE.

 

 

  James Burgess

FOCUS³¹

905.895.2719

james@focus31.com

focus31.com

focus31.com/blog

Author of CHAOS; How Busines Leaders Can Master The Power Of Focus

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SMART THOUGHT:
Having no plan is like sailing the seven seas without a compass, digging a ditch without a shovel, or hunting for pirate's treasure without an 'x' marks the spot...A plan helps keep you on schedule... and most importantly, provides an essential focus - a beacon of light in an ocean full of treachery.  Peter J. Patsula, Ph.D of Cognitive Science and Human Computer Interaction and Entrepreneur
=====================

When Do You Ready Your Business For 2014? Do You Do It With A Business Plan?

 

I know, it’s amazing isn’t it?

Q1/2014 has come and gone. Well almost as I know we are all pushing through the final selling days of next week before we close out the Quarter. Right?

So how is it going?  Much as 2013.? 

Did you plan to make it different in 2014?

Did you you make a resolution to start a business plan in 2014?  Did it last?  Did you even know how to go about doing it?

You know you should right?  Ya but everyone has those horror stories about business planning don’t they.  So why start right?

Of course those that are successful with business planning are the ones you never hear from.  They want to keep it a secret…a BIG SECRET. 

Why would they share their great stories of how successful business planning has made them? 

They’d much rather have you believe that it; takes too long, is too big and will never accomplishes anything and you only need it when you need a bank loan.  They’d even encourage you to go on believing that that brilliant business plan of yours belongs in…YOUR HEAD. 

Sure go ahead believe that while the rest of us who have figured it out continue to grab market share from you.

A good friend of mine when he retells a preposterous statement made by others turns to his audience and says….SHUT-UP!

I’ll just say STOP!  STOP the madness instead

You need to business plan because, oh I don’t know how about because; you’ll clarify the future so it can be achieved, you’ll make better quality decision, you’ll focus on the right priorities, you’ll think strategically instead of always tactically and you’ll build a business based on continuous improvement. 

Ya STOP...you need a business plan

Oh…wait…..right….I forgot it’s already Q1/2014.  That would be a foolish time to start a business plan wouldn’t it?  I mean come on the first Quarter is already in the wind…Right? 

Go on keep believing that and I’ll just keep taking more of that market share from you.

Sure if you think of a business plan as a TASK it might be too late to start!.

But it isn’t.  It is a process and process of learning and engaging and re-engaging in your business and the decisions that will move you forward.. 

So here this right now…any time is a good time to start business planning because you’ll start re-earning that market share from me sooner. 

Here is another reason to start business planning now…RIGHT NOW!
You’re right, Q1/2014 has already ended!  And you could think that since there are another 31 Quarters left in the next 7-Year cycle you can just sit back and say “who cares”.   I’ll start building up tomorrow!
You’d better care.  You better care right…NOW or again plan to GIVE, just hand over to your competition, even more market share because you failed to ready your business to capture your fair share, even MORE than your fair share, of the improving business market.
Improving Business Market?  Nobody said anything about an improving Business Market!
Well two of us did
I said it on January 17, 2014 to my clients.
President Obama said it to the World 2-weeks later on January 28 during his State of the Union Address.
What did we both say?
We said 2014 is about OPPORTUNITY!   Business and employment opportunity!
You see Obama and I can count….2008 + 7 = 2015.
A 7-year economic cycle is coming to an end. It is highly probable that 2014 (allowing for any unforeseen catastrophes) will be the first year to anchor an economic recovery.
So what about your business???
GET OUT OF YOUR RECESSION SHELL! 
Start with a well thought through business plan that is easy and fast to create, sustainable with no more than 10-minutes per week and is entirely PRACTICAL
If you are ready to get serious about the opportunity 2014 is waiting, just waiting to give you, then check out this resource right HERE if you are in the Toronto area

That resource will set your stage for focus on, and accountability for, the activities that will truly advance you business to new $UCCE$$ starting right…NOW!
If you are going to do it yourself then click HERE to build your plan.with just a great resource and here are just 7 areas of your business to check-on:

1. Finances – Can you finance growth?
2. Sales – Are you really that good at selling?  Is your sales force?
3. Marketing – Do you still sell by the hour?  Really?
4. Marketing – Is there consistency in your message everywhere your prospects see you?  Really?
5. Marketing – Is your web site doing anything?   Is your Social Media a help or hindrance?
6. Customer – Do they love you or tolerate you?
7. Customer – Do you love them or tolerate them?

Not ready to examine ALL of this on your own?   Then get clear direction with this resource right HERE or do-it-yourself HERE  
There are 31 Quarters left in the next 7-Year cycle.  Don’t wait until the 32 Quarter to WAKE UP!

Radical Focus Accountability Workshop by James Burgess Saturday Nov 30th,2013

I have known James Burgess for a few years. He has been an amazing resource on sharing strategies on getting things done!

Check out my book review that I did on my blog:
Read more

Workshop:  Radical FOCUS Accountability workshop facilitated by James Burgess author of CHAOS

Date:  Saturday November 30, 2013

 

Time:  9:00AM until approx 4:00PM

Location:  Markham Executive Offices, 3601 Highway #7 @ Warden, Suite 400, Markham, Ont.

Parking:  Access underground parking at the east-end of the surface parking and proceed to the elevators in the back right on L1.

Food/Beverages:  Coffee & Muffins all day with a 30 - 45 minute working lunch.  Bring your own lunch or plan to quickly pick something up near-by.

Bring a Warrior Business friend:  Don't horde this powerful workshop.  Encourage a friend to join in by registering now right HERE.  It will be more engaging with a friend and increase the probability you will use the information you gather.   

We'll see you in just a few days.  Register NOW HERE to reserve your seat(s).  Be the Business Warrior of 2014   

   

James Burgess

FOCUS ³¹ 

905-895-2719
james@focus31.com
Website
Blog
Author of CHAOS: How Business Leaders Can Master the Power of Focus 

 

Book Review: Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Les Hewitt

                                                 

        The Power of Focus is a book full of  proven ways to grow your inner and outer self.  Three areas that stood out were

1st  Dump It, Delegate It, Defer It or Do It  process.


2nd How to evaluate people in your network. "Do I like them? Do I trust them? Do I respect them?

3rd  Describing Confidence: Confidence is a habit that can be honed and strengthened every day.During this process you will be challenged by fear, worry, and uncertainty. These elements constitute the ebb and flow of life. It's a constant struggle, a mental battelfield that must be won if you life is to be filled with abundance.

   Many more power principle are shared.

  Check out Jack Canfield website below
  Learn more




               

                                        Jack Canfield and Jim Pagiamtzis in Toronto October 2011
 

Book Review: Chaos- How Business Leaders Can Master The Power of Focus

                                                                     

   In was been experience to meet James Burgess in 2011 and since them we met at numerous networking events and seminar. Recently attended his book launch for his first book  Chaos-How Business Leaders Can Master The Power of Focus. Below are some insight and strategies that I learned from reading his book


  On your journey

  It's About Your Life

  "Your Life Primary Objective is about leading  a life that is consistent with your innermost desires, core values and beliefs. It's a life that "feels right" every day and gives you a deeper sense of fulfillment  and meaning with every year that passes.You live this life intentionally rather than randomly."

  It's  All about You

 " Your LPO is unique to you. It's about  what you truly want for yourself. It's not about the obligations you have to others, and it's not about what others expect of you. Think only about yourself and what you want your life to be like. That's difficult for many of us."

 On Focus

 "Here is a final thought on focus, In the education system, listening begets learning and learning begets knowing. But it does not automatically follow that knowing begets doing. With knowledge comes enlightenment and a shift in emotions. But a shift in emotions rarely has lasting effect. There are simply too many triggers to prompt us to reengage in the unwanted activities which will only result in bringing us down again.Lasting change comes from shift in behaviour, not a shift in emotions. With this book I hope to motivate you, but in order to support that emotional shift, I also want to give you the opportunity to engage in a shift in behaviour through the various exercises that are included in the following chapters"

On Achieving goals

 "We live in a busy world. Many entrepreneurs confuse activity with accomplishment. Many of us are so busy we find it difficult to stop long enough to ponder such things. Let's face it. We can never achieve success in life without first considering where we want to go. We wouldn't set sail on the ocean without some sort of destination in mind in the hopes of getting somewhere.Without direction, we would be lost and just drifting"

On Customer retention

 " An important acronym to be familiar with is KYC or  "Know Your Client". If you know your customer, then you can set up your communication interaction to match what they want. Many of us are engaged in some form of  constant contact marketing to clients and prospects. So if we just blanket or bombard our customers with the same message, we run the risk of frustrating them to the point that they either stop listening, or worse stop being our clients. The tighter you can categorize  your customer, the more effective your constant contact will be."




                                                 "Focus, folks! Focus and practice." James M Burgess



On Networking conversation

The focus Eight Step Sales Conversation. Pick up a copy of the book to learn what these steps are! Learn more


On Business planning

   "Therein lies one of the most profound reasons we don't business plan effectively. Of our own accord, we simply will not stretch our comfort zone and intentionally commit ourselves to activities that may very well enhance our business's financial performance several magnitudes because we are scared of the commitment of having to do them. After all, if we know what the right activities were, and if they were easy to do, everyone would be doing them."

         "Business Planning is important, it has been broken.It can be easy, fast, sustainable and entirely practical!" James Burgess

As you have read above the are many great strategies and areas that you can learn,do and apply to create long lasting result in your mission. Get a copy of this book and attend a session soon. My mentors always said "Put yourself in the position to win" all the time.

This is a resource that will enable you to do that.Starting today!


 For more information on book and seminars
Learn more

                                         James Burgess and Jim Pagiamtzis at book launch