The mindset of the highly successful is one of always looking for opportunity.   We talked in recent articles about Thomas Watson of IBM and his success key to “double your rate of failure”.  Unless a person commits himself to living in a cave and minimal interaction with the outside world, there will be friction. Friction and difficulty brought on by external forces, often lead to what we know generaly as problems.

Problems. We all encounter them. What do the most successful, the greatest champions among us do with problems that the rest of us don’t?  They actually flip them into opportunity. Brian Tracy’s 5th law of success for the 21st century is that within every problem or difficulty, there are the seeds for an even greater success or victory.  My racing clients like NASCAR’s Kasey Kahne and Joey Saldana, Sprint Car champion driver, are the best of the best because they are always looking for the benefit and how they can improve from any situation.  The main thing they are always focusing on is adding value.

Worrying or becoming dejected by a temporary set back insures that nothing of value will be created from a situation.  Within my Racer’s Workout is a mental fitness training program for car and motorcycle racers that focus on maximizing the moment.  Avoid the tendency to curl up in a ball when life’s inevitable resistence comes your way and work on a new tendency to actually welcome it with an eye towards maximizing the value of it for you and everyone around you. What we are talking about here is basic wholesome beneficial habits of thinking being created the same way the bad ones were: Constant repetition.

Start with this simple  mental exercise: Every time something happens that tends to  cause a negative reaction inside of you as if automatic, take a moment or two to let the event pass. Then ask yourself, how can I make this into something of benefit? Spend your time thinking strategically and not accepting that an event is wholly negative. You will find this habit empowering and your mind will start to work big time towards greater success.  

Russ Bohaty, The Racers Trainer, is the Personal Fitness Trainer for NASCAR’s Kasey Kahne and The Kasey Kahne Racing Team. His Free 6-Week Mental Fitness program geared to reach your peak performance is available at www.racerstrainer.com.