Do you want to do something HUGE in life? Leave a real legacy of some kind? Leave your “mark?” I do, and I canʼt imagine a life without such aspirations. I also canʼt imagine a life without Lori, my partner in crime. I firmly believe you need someone else whoʼs significant in your life to reach incredible success. Iʼm not talking “ooh I had a good day success.” Iʼm speaking of REAL BIG success. Doing something incredible. Achieving some large goals. That kind of success.
Now, Iʼm not saying it has to be a “significant other.” While it certainly helps if it is a spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, partner, etc. because youʼre around each other so much, it could also be a close friend, mentor, or even a hired coach that gets you there.
So, after quite some thought, Iʼve put together a few of the reasons why Lori and I have been able to really bring out the best in each other, and what it takes to really be a good team.
1) Hold each other accountable. We all need someone to hold us accountable, even the best of us. Everyone has an off day occasionally, and thatʼs when you can count on your partner to give you that extra push, and make sure you stay on track. I canʼt tell you how many times I havenʼt wanted to go to the gym or run around the lake, but we still make each other go, and my love-handles thank her for it! We always feel so much better for it when weʼre done!
2) Set aside time to talk every day. Yes, every day. This can be in any form you like. Ours happens to be our walks that we start every morning out with. One hour of uninterrupted planning, motivating, listening, or dreaming. Many times weʼve woken up on the wrong side of the bed, but by the end of our walk, weʼve gotten each other straightened out for the day.
3) Be open to Outside Advice. If you only rely on yourself, or even just the two of you for new ideas, youʼre never going to grow outside of your own paradigm. Some of the biggest advancements in our careers have come from outside advice. Plenty of people have already been where youʼre trying to go…so seek them out!
4) Give HONEST feedback every time. This is the toughest of them all. No one wants to hurt each otherʼs feelings, but even the hardest things to say can be well-received if delivered in the right manner. Ever have to tell your wife that her self-tanner makes her look like an Oompa-Loompa? Yea, thatʼs a toughie!! Itʼs all in the delivery, (boy have I had to learn this!!) And if done correctly, youʼll help each other stay on track and reach your goals that much quicker. Youʼre not doing anyone any favors by letting them think theyʼre doing well when theyʼre not. Donʼt forget that positivereinforcement is also part of honest feedback, and will always mean that much more when your teammate knows itʼs sincere!
5) Be ready to make sacrifices. If youʼre going to be really successful, youʼre going to have to make many sacrifices. Be it time, money, friends, or whatever, youʼre not entitled to “get” everything you want AND achieve everything you want at the same time. Itʼs that simple. Once you accept this, the tough decisions get easier. In addition, if youʼre making a sacrifice for your partnerʼs goal, you better do so with a great attitude, or instead of helping, youʼre really just setting them back that much further!
6) Be into each others goals. I mean really get into them. You donʼt have to like them at first, but if youʼre not fully bought in to your partners goals, then youʼre probably not the right partner for them. Never tell them their idea is too big. In fact, challenge them to make it bigger! Youʼd be surprised how many ideas I didnʼt like at first, but once I gave them a fair shot and really listened to the merit behind them, I saw how exciting they could be once they became a reality. Furthermore, itʼs way more fun to be involved when you make their goals your own goals. The best part? Most of them have turned into the greatest moves weʼve ever made. We even have a new idea that I was reluctant to hear at first, but now may be the biggest and best move weʼve ever made yet!
7) Celebrate each otherʼs success in a BIG way!! Really do it up! After all that hard work, if youʼve achieved what you set out to do, then make sure you really enjoy it! Thatʼll be the only reason to do it all over again!
Some of the points above might seem obvious, and you might have even heard many of them before, but itʼs the consistency that you do them with that matters. These really are the principals that have guaranteed Lori and I success over and over again, and in some pretty big ways. They take work to implement on a regular basis, but if you really work to keep these points in the conscience part of your mind, I can just about guarantee that you and your partner will achieve anything you set out to!
Good luck, Chris