“Take care of your mind. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Raj Gavurla
My teammates said, “there’s Manuel. He’s coming.” My tennis coach, Manuel, walked by the fence and I asked him “Coach, did you bring your workbook?” He left it at home. Then we played and coach was encouraging.
He asked what have you been doing to play so well? I said, completing my Your Raise The Bar Primer: Mental Performance Tools workbook. He said yes, but how the rapid increase in skill. I said, in addition to the workbook I’ve been using my private advanced mental performance breakthroughs skills coaching sessions. People pay for that.
Then, he evaluated me instead of giving me feedback. He said, I like this (the proportionally increasing line) using his finger, then he leveled it, and then it went downward. He said the increasing and level is better. You lost focus on the downward part. Then, he said, “be careful”.
While using my workbook to evaluate my performance and to write what I am working on for more “win fun tennis”, I reflected on how I could “be careful”. On the downward part, I wasn’t using my new focus technique before serving the ball and my mind’s eye. I’m looking forward to my deliberate practice session to practically apply what I learned and to my next match.
If sports doesn’t produce income for you, how about using my workbook, private mental performance breakthroughs learning sessions (workshops), and highly customized individualized coaching for business and education in your workplace. Yes, coaching use to be paid only for executives, however, you’ll create mental performance breakthroughs to listen to learn good to win fun, better earning, and experience greater when you use it throughout your workplace.
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” – Seth Godin
For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com, LiiiVEN.
“Being nice to yourself on the inside is greatness on the outside.” – Raj Gavurla
Do You Dream Of A Resource To Help Solve Employees or Athletes Performance Development and Challenges? Your employees are trained on hard and soft skills.
However, with mental performance skills training they will develop, build, and grow existing gifts, talents, and skills and discover new gifts, talents, and skills to elevate their performance.
Take this currently FREE Thrive With A Forward Performance Learning Assessment Module: http://www.RajGavurla.com
How can I help?
“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”Henry Ford
For Programs and Services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com.
“Win, believe, dream, achieve applying learning tenaciously living forever.” – Raj Gavurla
Receive Insights: Take this Thrive With A Forward Performance Learning Assessment (FREE) Module.
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.
The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale
For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com, 864.569.2315, LiiiVEN.
“Better self-management: Put brain, heart, and muscle power into it.” – Raj Gavurla
Lately there has been an increase in the use of the word “he/she/they/we don’t want” or “attitude” used instead of really helping the person who you think should want or have a positive attitude towards something.
Examples:
1. “Because he/she doesn’t want to make an A”. Most people want to make “A’s”. So it’s ridiculous to say they don’t want to that’s why they aren’t. Yes, the ability to teach is not a skill everyone has developed, built, grown, and usually the people who don’t have this skill revert to the two reasons why; “they don’t want to” or “attitude”.
Everyone’s situation is different, however, one way to increase reading comprehension, retention, and application of learning might be the following:
1. Read the first paragraph of the chapter
2. Read the last paragraph of the chapter
3. Read the headings in the chapter if present
4. Ask yourself questions as you read specific sections
5. Write in the margins to denote its significance to you
Yes, this takes more prep time/work, however, it makes you faster in the end because of your ability to comprehend, retain, and apply the learning.
2. You see this in the workplace also because people aren’t making sure all the relevant information is there or they have anxiety. Trying to get through it as fast as they can without making sure to first check to see is all the relevant information there and if something is missing find it (research) and then put the steps needed to complete it with an estimated amount of time. Realize, most people are working on multiple projects at work so put that into your time estimate and assign your time as “uninterrupted”, “regular”, or “interrupted” to accurately estimate the time. This will take undue pressure off of you. If someone wants you to do it faster without providing you the tools or methods to do so then tell them “that’s as soon as I can have it done”. Put some margin in there for breathing room and unexpected events. Planning helps.
3. When I taught Career Planning & Exploration my students were future medical assistants, owners, entrepreneurs, computer technicians, and business management professionals.
To prepare, I learned about their course of study to grasp some of the vocabulary to relate to them. As we prepared for mock interviews, I would ask relevant questions pertaining to their field as being knowledgeable and then play the role of someone who wasn’t knowledgeable about their field but had a role in learning to run a better business. Seeing their qualitative answers in the debrief was insightful because of what was surprising, shocking, or went unnoticed. As they sat in a waiting room to prepare for a mock interview you could sense, see, and feel their brains, hearts, and muscles working. One had received news a few hours before that her apartment was flooded, one was battling chronic pain, and the others had their situation.
They all did well in their mock interviews because of “better self-management”. There were areas they felt they could have done better. That’s very important to know you can do better by increasing your skills although you are already skilled (competent) in a specific skill.
So, to transform your performance think of these examples and how you relate (“adaptability link”) to them. “Better self-management” makes it easier for you to transform your performance.
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Theodore Roosevelt
For programs and services, contact Raj Gavurla at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com, LiiiVEN.
Sometimes you need to praise people. Especially, the ones you learned or learn from. Take a look:
It’s a connection made possible by an app and website that students created as part of the university’s celebrated Creative Inquiry program and that will be shared with the public as Clemson’s STEAM Exhibit returns to Artisphere for a fourth year.
The bell-ringing will be among 17 activities geared for all ages that shine a light on how science, technology, engineering, arts and math complement each other. The public response to the exhibit in years past has been huge, with more than 75,000 visiting last year alone.
Some of this year’s activities are big hits returning for another run and several will be making their festival debut. Visitors can expect to venture into virtual reality worlds, play an underwater musical instrument and program robots to draw on paper.
One new activity will allow visitors to design an operating room in virtual reality while the audience observes their brainwave activity. Another will teach children about protecting the environment by having them make art out of recycled materials.
The STEAM Exhibit will be free and open to the public for the duration of the festival, which runs May 12-14.
The exhibit will be in the same place as the first three years: the corner of Main and Broad streets next to Grill Marks restaurant.
Here’s a list of activities scheduled for this year:
Color Booth
Experiment with the effects of colored light in this exhibit. Learn how theatrical lighting designers make informed decisions when picking color filters for lights on stage. Visitors can see and experiment with the effects of colored light on theater scenery and costumes and play a challenging guessing game.
EMAG!NE
The STEAM outreach network of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences has developed hands-on activities for K-12 students, families and other festival-goers.
Big Data is All Around Us
Gummy bears and virtual reality will help illustrate how many data points a single person leaves in a year. Each gummy bear will represent a single data point, such as a phone call, credit transaction or a log-in. Visitors will also be asked questions about Greenville and their answers will be added to a live database illustrated in a diagram on a large screen. Small children can help build a visualization using chalk and a chalkboard and will receive a gummy bear with parental permission.
Recycled Art
This activity will help educate children about how they can turn trash into something useful. It will make them more familiar with recycling and teaches them about caring for the environment while triggering innovation.
Kinetic Energy Visualized IN Art (KEVIN)
Discover the visual delights of variable motion with these kinetic sculptures. This exhibit displays sculptures that use wind power, gravity, motors and strobe lights to provide unique visual effects.
Real-time Brain Response to Designing a Virtual Operating Room
This experience will allow the user to wear a head-mounted device that provides external input (virtual reality) and internal input (brain wave activity). The user will be able to move equipment in a virtual reality world to design an operating room while the audience observes the user’s brainwave activity in real time.
Playing Fraction Pies
Connect your knowledge of fractions and equivalency to musical notes and rhythms. Simply choose your fractions and press play. Your fractions will transform into a musical composition you can see and hear.
Small Bugs Making Big Waves: How Microbes Benefit Humankind
Despite being so small that they are invisible to our eyes, the microorganisms in our world have a big impact on our lives. This exhibit combines the art of microscopy and the viewing of these microbes with a connection to the daily application of the everyday things they provide. Come by for a live view under a microscope as well as past images of these mysterious creatures and examples of their hidden contributions to society.
Coding for the Carillon: Automating Clemson’s Bell Tower
Watch live video and audio feed from the top of Clemson’s iconic bell tower as songs play entirely automatically through a system implemented by a team of Clemson students in a Creative Inquiry project. Visitors can interact with the bells in real time through a virtual display and keyboard.
Science as Art 2017
Science as Art has challenged Clemson University students, faculty and staff, as well as pre-college students around the state, to share the powerful and inspiring visual images produced in laboratories, workspaces and learning environments. Science as Art aims to draw interest and understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through visually captivating images that are described in basic terms.
The Magnificent Microcosm
If you have ever wondered what a butterfly mouth or a starfish looks like under a microscope, you will not want to miss “The Magnificent Microcosm” sponsored by the Clemson Light Imaging Facility. You will have the chance to look at samples under a microscope, see images from the “HOOKEd on Microscopy” contest and build your own hologram projector to use with a smartphone or tablet.
Drawing with Robots: R2D2 Meets Rembrandt
This exhibit is an interactive activity that introduces children and young adults to computing programing through art. They write the code for shape they wish to create and download it to a small Scribbler robot that then “draws” their picture.
Cutting, Folding, and Stacking: Turning Paper into Resilient Structures
In this hands-on exhibit, attendees will try to fold a piece of paper into a tessellated structure as a scaled model bridge and use precut pieces of cardboard to create a structurally sound mini chair. The purpose of this exhibit is to show that different geometric designs can affect the strength and stability of a structure.
Light flow
Did you know that optical technologies such as lasers and optical fibers are important for applications ranging from communications to health care? This interactive exhibit invites participants to learn more about these technologies from a highly visual and artistic perspective. Light Flow offers opportunities to manipulate laser light with water, send music from a mobile phone to a speaker with a laser beam and create your own colorful shapes using a special form of light-diffusing optical fiber.
Clemson Baja SAE
Clemson Baja is student-designed and -driven organization where participants challenge engineering principles by building a fully capable off-road vehicle.
Drawbot and Air Piston Musical Instrument
Use an iPad to control a Drawbot to create fun pictures from audio files. Come play a unique musical instrument using a rotating disk with specific hole sizes on it and pistons producing the air needed to make sound. Visitors can use the pistons to produce sounds and musical notes.
Biomimetics – Showcasing Nature through the Eyes of an Engineer
Come experience the power and creativity of Mother Nature, from a simple abalone shell to powerful synthetic shark jaws and prehensile seahorse tail marionette.
More about the exhibit:
The STEAM Exhibit is a collaboration of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences and the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.
The chief organizers of the exhibit are Brad Putman, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences and Shannon Robert, associate professor of scene design in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.
Richard Goodstein, dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, said a dedicated group of faculty, students and staff have been working for months to ensure that this year’s exhibit is a success.
“Their efforts illustrate how imagination and creativity can bring together the STEAM disciplines,” he said. “Our collaborative efforts help position Clemson as a national leader in STEAM education.”
Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences said the exhibit serves as a reminder that engineering, computing and science are closely related to the arts and creativity.
“It also gives our students and faculty a place to showcase their work and provide a public service,” he said. “We have had a positive response in past years and are looking forward to another great festival.”
Also this year, Todd Anderson of Clemson University was chosen as one of Artisphere’s four jurors. The assistant professor of art and printmaking will be on the Jury Review Panel with Darin Gehrke, Mercedes Jelinek and Marilyn Zapf.
Kerry Murphy, executive director of Artisphere, said that Clemson’s contributions help enhance the festival.
“The STEAM exhibit is innovative, unique and well-received by festival-goers each year,” she said. “Clemson’s offerings are not only educational but also fun for adults and children alike. We are glad to have Clemson back at Artisphere in 2017.”
“Let go of the thoughts that don’t make you strong.” – Unknown
For programs and services, contact Raj Gavurla at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com, LiiiVEN.
“Fortunately world-class business occurs with preparation and communication.” – Raj Gavurla
Since change isn’t a competitive advantage, how are businesses, organizations, and teams solving their need(s) for performing (high value/value add) better results (better ROI/higher margins) in a faster time?
Answer: Transform Performance
Examples:
1. Most organization development shows a top-down flow. Whether their competitive advantage starts at the top (trickle down) to the bottom or from the bottom (grassroots) to the top. How about transforming your performance lens to organization development showing forward performance (—–> timeline fashion): Founder-Board-President/CEO – Each Colleague (Teammate) – Business Unit – Division – Department – etc. as they came into existence in a win forward performance for your competitive advantage? Forward performance mentality is essential to living (doing) for each person to thrive.
2. Sometimes when I shoot baskets kids are also shooting on the same basket. When they make a shot and I grab the rebound they are quick to say “change” meaning they want me to pass them the ball as a return for making their shot. Since I’m also a performance consultant and private performance mental skills coach, I want to tell them “Change isn’t a competitive advantage. I would have thrown the ball to you without you saying change.” Instead, they need to shoot the ball from the same spot the same way (“repetitions – keep going to the well”). If an adult paid my fee, the kids win forward performance.
3. The better tennis player you are the more mental tennis is. What differentiates the number one players and teams in men’s and women’s tennis is their mentality. What are you doing to work on your private performance mental skills so you consistently become a better tennis player.
4. In business, work, sports, and life identify your need(s) to win forward performance whether experiencing success (fun) or negativity. Most likely you know what to live (do) and/or you might need to pay for support service(s) to work with you to solve your need(s) to win forward performance.
5. How do you accomplish any endeavor in life (i.e. your dreams, vision, goals, and/or mission)? By living (doing) it.
“You cannot start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”
– Michael McMillan
For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com
“Do prosperity work: create inspiring authentic dialogue.
Be a good listener: Personally, we the people (everyone), want each person to thrive.”
– Raj Gavurla
Where is the new talent pool? It’s within you! Take a look at these professions:
Engineer, Entrepreneur, Public Service, Doctor, Writer, Professional Speaker, Professional Athlete, Actor, Model, Musician, Professor, and add any profession(s) to your liking.
Is it within you? Be and/or become any of the professions of your liking and you will be able to forward practical perform winning valued money doing so. For example, you might work for a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, quarters, seasonally, or years doing one or any combination of the profession(s).
Your reply to “what do you do?” might be, “I’m an entrepreneur, engineer, professional speaker, writer, professional athlete, politician, doctor, actor, consultant, and coach.” They might give you an uncertain look. You reply, “I’m paid (valued money) doing each”.
What combination will you use to thrive?
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
A situational mindset is a skill you use to fully engage yourself in a process and culture. Whether one person, two, a group, or many stakeholders, there are diverse people with personalities, perspectives, agendas, pressures, and what’s important to them. Examples are: Your mom needs emergency surgery. Your situational mindset is serious and prayerful, the doctor reports she was able to remove all of the clot (your situational mindset is thankful), you visit your mom (your situational mindset is loving, positive and encouraging), your mom comes home (your situational mindset is helping her get better), during this time of recovery (your situational mindset varies from loving, serious, fun, funny, success, enjoyment, relief, prayerful, progress, frustration, stress, hope, caring, and sharing).
In your business, organization, and team you also encounter the above situational mindsets in a different context.
For clarity and preparedness let’s look at a process and culture for you to succeed:
Better Outcomes
Yes, you need to know what is your dream, vision, goal(s), mission, motivation, inspire yourself, and incentive(s).
So the dream is about how the fulfillment of better outcomes will enable you to dream more? Vision is the leadership and buy-in to get there, goal(s) are the milestones in your journey, and your mission is waking up daily to motivate and inspire your successes. Motivation is your fuel. Inspire yourself to consistently do better. Incentive(s) is everything expected and unexpected that goes along with pursuing your situational better outcomes mindset. What are your better outcomes? Capitalize on the learning. It takes sharing inspiring authentic dialog.
How To Consistently Perform Better?
This essentially is “how do I consistently perform better?” You need to remove some things or habits and continue building and growing your mental performance skills. When on a team, ask “how do we consistently perform better”?
In an organization, ask “how does the organization consistently perform better?” For me, after completing the better outcomes section I constantly am looking for ways to consistently perform better. In this changing, diverse, and financially outdated system the forces of democracy, innovation and entrepreneurial vigor, and a spirited beacon of hope consistently creates a better life, better living, and better future. It’s a new way of thinking for some people. In a situational performance mindset more organizations, teams, and individuals need to spend more time in the situational performance mindset. The reason is illustrated in the next section. Yes, you want to earn more wins and more income. Now that’s established learn how to learn to consistently perform better and the more wins and more income come to you. You don’t need to chase it.
Do Your Best Production
Before management, people were working on their own to feed and clothe them self and their family. As the concept of management came into existence from Frederick Taylor to Peter Drucker management has learned their people, partnerships, and relationships are what makes the difference in their successes. The creative, innovative, and invention of technology, machines, and robots are handling things you no longer need to do. For example, agriculture has advanced, manufacturing plants are cleaner and less manual labor is being done, and mobility is delivering solutions when needed without delay.
More and more we are advancing from a situational production mindset to a situational performance mindset. Companies are realizing to succeed management doesn’t need to do all the situational performance mindset work while non-management does the situational production mindset work. It puts too much pressure on management’s situational performance mindset. Instead of fully engaging employees in the process and culture, it puts too much uncertainty on employees’ situational production mindset.
Successes, Fun, Enjoyment, and Celebration
The solution(s) which is implemented to varying degrees based on an inordinate number of criteria, wants, and needs are to fully engage your organization and personnel in better outcomes and situational performance mindset and spend less time in the situational production mindset. Then how does anything get done? “We are about doing you say.” Here’s how: You work on creating, innovating, inventing, and invest in the right service(s), product(s), technology, machines, and robots to develop and grow your business and clientele.
You invest in support services such as professional speaker(s), coach(es), consultant(s), and trainer(s) service(s) and product(s), who have a solution and then fully engage them to help you consistently perform better. In my speaking, coaching, and consulting, my clients need help in one or more of the four situational mindsets. Over the years having seen this need in companies of all sizes, different types of teams, and industries, I created, innovated, and invented to put together an intervention package. It consists of the Your Raise The Bar Primer: Mental Performance Tools workbook for your situational performance mindset, highly customized individual or team coaching, a customized team workshop, and performance consulting. From using my workbook you’ll realize not only how to accomplish your list, you’ll also realize how to put a lens on it for better outcomes. Currently, businesses and athletes are using it to make good progress. You don’t need to struggle, live in apathy, or suffer.
There are more successes, fun, enjoyment, and celebrations for you to partake in. When’s the next banquet, corporate party, convention, cookout, conference, cruise, or parade? It’s an endless fully engaging process and culture. I’m looking forward to seeing you more successful (practical forward mobility) as that’s my job and in my mission statement.
“Success isn’t about being the best. It’s about always getting better.” Behance 99U
For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com.