A couple of years ago, I saw a Ted talk that changed my mornings forever. The video showed a person standing in a glass box filled with ice up to his neck. The man's name is Wim Hof, also known as the iceman. Wim is famous for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures. "I traveled the world, studying everything from Karate and Kung Fu to Yoga and Buddhism. But nothing quite fulfilled me," Wim said. So with an understanding of Tummo meditation (a Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice) and Pranayama yogic breathing, he created his technique, the Wim Hof Method. Through his method, he set dozens of Guinness world records. They include swimming under ice, prolonged full-body contact with ice, and a barefoot half-marathon on ice and snow. Even more impressive, he never gets sick's. Wim attributes these feats to his regiment of frequent cold exposure, breathing techniques, and meditation. Wim believes that anyone can learn his method and become super-human.

The all-time greatest movie ever made is hands down Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I have tried to model my entire life after the classic John Hughes's character. In High School, I would ditch class to go to the museum, although it didn't have the priceless works of art Ferris saw at the Art Institute of Chicago, I didn't have a Ferrari either. In the film, Mathew Brodrick shared some wisdom on his larger-than-life day off.

 We all have four zones based on our unique skills and individual gifts, where we can choose to focus our time and energy. These are the Zone of Incompetence, the Zone of Competence, Zone of Excellence, and the Zone of Genius. Michael Jordan is a stellar example of this. His Zone of Genius was basketball. He was proficient enough (zone of competence) to play minor league baseball, but that was an enormous waste of his talents. The people that change the world, or win six championships, operate in their Zone of Genius. Very few humans exist in this place. It takes intentionality, deep work, and commitment to find someone's Zone of Genius.

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to see a presentation by David Rosenthal. He has been Billy Joel's keyboardist and Band Leader for the last 20+ years. David's keynote was about how he was able to accomplish amazing things, not by having more talent, but rather by out preparing his competition. The story of landing the gig with Billy Joel resonated with me. The tale illustrates how preparation can be the difference between success and failure.

I love to read and recently finished the self-help classic 'The Richest Man in Babylon." The laws woven into the tale are ones I wish had been taken to heart in my youth. My mother tried to instill me with these same lessons, and they are as accurate today as 8,000s ago in Babylon. In the story, Arkad (the Richest Man in Babylon) sends his son into the world with a bag of gold and tablets inscribed with the five laws to make his way in the world. Arkad informs his son (Nosamir) that if he cannot demonstrate his ability to build wealth, the most valued estate in Babylon would be willed to the temples. Nosamir goes into the world quickly, learning that gold without knowledge will swiftly leave one's pocket.

Parkinson's Law states that "works expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." This holds true in many aspects of our lives, from work projects or personal commitments. If you have a deadline four weeks from now, that task will almost certainly require the entire month to finish. But it doesn't have to be this way. By working smarter, not harder, and productive vs. busy, we can accomplish more than 95% of our peers in the same amount of time. A few tricks to avoid falling into the trap of Parkinson's Law:

Momentum is a game-changer not only in sports but in life. We have seen how momentum can shift from one team to another throughout a game or playoff series. This unseen edge can be the difference between success or failure. A big play or home-field advantage undoubtedly impacts momentum in sport. You can intentionally create that same invisible force to help carry you past adversity each day. 

Why do you need an icebox? I am not talking about the place where you the mint chocolate chip ice cream. An icebox (or parking lot as it's commonly referred to) is as a place to capture thoughts and ideas without derailing momentum from the current task or meeting. This technique encourages creative thinking during working sessions cultivating new ideas without losing focus. Implementing this practice in your work and personal life is simple.

Consistently creating exceptional creative work requires a process. Over the last 23 years of running an agency, I have worked with hundreds of clients in a wide variety of industries. In the previous two decades, I developed a system for creative work. Most agencies follow the four D approach (Discover, Design, Develop, Deploy). This has been overused by almost every agency worldwide, but the four Ds also lacks original thinking, sounds like a failing report card, and doesn't work consistently. The methodology Zenman developed applies to any client in any industry.

Do large projects seem to drag on indefinitely? Maybe your challenge is that you have too many projects currently in-flight to make progress on any of them. Engaging in multiple tasks simultaneously might make you feel busy, but it actually reduces productivity dramatically. Stop starting new projects until the current ones are complete.

The world's most successful people share many of the same habits and rituals. It's not a coincidence that world champion athletes, successful serial entrepreneurs, and artists leverage the same techniques to reach their goals. Here are the practices that you can adopt to be happier and more successful in your own life.

All humans have goals that we want to accomplish in our lifetime. Each of us have our unique dreams and aspirations. The difference between those that live their best life and the rest is in the effort. If you have struggled in the past to complete a goal successfully, here are a few simple techniques that can be the difference between crossing the finish line or quitting the race.