Guest post: How to Achieve the Highest Level - By Corey Poirer

TO ACHIEVE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL YOU NEED TO DO WHAT HIGH ACHIEVERS DO?

By Corey Poirier

As a Corporate Trainer, Professional Keynote Speaker, and Radio Show Host, I spend the majority of my time these days speaking to, and working with, high achieving professionals and individuals and sharing applicable insight on our Conversations With Passion Radio Show.

I spend the rest of my time interviewing and researching the common traits of high performers from across North American, including Grammy Winners, Television Personalities, Award Winning Comedians, Award Winning Business Leaders, Elite Athletes, Olympic Gold Medalists, and more, so that I have more exclusive insight to share with my corporate clients.

To perform at the highest level I believe it helps if you can learn what the majority of the high achievers do, and do likewise.

Yes, it’s true that some have achieved success by doing the opposite of what other peak performers do. Steve Jobs comes to mind. But there is only one Steve Jobs, and until one gets to that level, why ignore the fact that, in the words of the late great Jim Rohns, “Success Leaves Clues”.

An obvious question at this point becomes, what common traits do the more than 2500 high achievers I have studied share? I get that question more often than you can perhaps imagine.

I have determined the top 10 traits that these peak performers share, as a result of my personal research, and what struck me the most is the fact that 3 weren’t what most would expect.

Believe it or not, hard work, find a good mentor, enter the industry at the right time, have a solid cash flow, and so on, albeit important, and helpful, were not the most common traits, or actions.

One of the 3 traits I’m focused on today, or actions, in particular, really stood out, and it is in such direct contrast to the what the average person does, I felt it imperative to focus on that one trait, above all else in this very column.

That trait, or action, is tied directly to focus, but bigger than that, it is the action of removing all distractions from each interaction throughout one’s day.

At a time when the average person can barely take their eyes away from their I-Phone, Blackberry or Android, it really struck me that some of the busiest, high achievers in the world found a way, at least during my time with them, to silence their phones, and dedicate their full time and attention to the moment at hand.

Whether it was Chicken Soup Co-Creator Jack Canfield, Arlene Dickinson of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, former World Champion Trish Stratus, Olympic Gold Medalist Heather Moyse, Award Winning Singer / Songwriter Sass Jordan, The Food Network’s Chef Michael Smith, or Leadership Guru Robin Sharma; almost every single one found a way to make me feel like I was the only person in their world during our time together.

Again, this is so much in contrast to the actions of the average person today, I felt compelled to share this finding in hopes that it will help others rethink the focus they place on the person in front of them despite the many distractions battling for their time.

As a wise attendee at a talk I gave at a University in Alberta said, “When you wash the rice, wash the rice”.

It may be an old proverb, but it’s still as wise today – in essence, it means, when you are focused on one task, focus completely on that one task, and that task alone.

After all, that’s what the high achievers are doing. Hey, perhaps I should share that wise attendees’ wisdom in the monologue for the next episode of the radio show.

Until then, here’s to your continued success…

Corey Poirier is an award-winning speaker, entrepreneur, and a bestselling author. His Standing Ovations from Every Customer book was released in 2013. He has personally interviewed over 2500 Super-Achievers, he has presented at TEDx, and MoMondays, he has shared the bill with Deepak Chopra, he has be a high achiever at Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, he can be seen on television, heard on radio and read in publications regularly, and he even had O’ Magazine ask to have his writing appear in one of their issues. You can sign-up to have advance notice when he releases the upcoming Science of Super-Achievement Guide at www.thepassioncure.com, hear his radio show at www.conversationswithpassion.com or learn more about bringing Corey in to work with your company at www.coreypoirier.com