Let me walk you through a visualization. I want you to encourage you to imagine yourself getting a package in the mail from your sweet friend. When you open it up it is a uniquely shaped jar full of your favorite treats ie., M&M’s, Skittles, or maybe “GORP” (Good Ole’ Raisins and Peanuts). You are excited and eagerly take the lid off the jar and reach into the jar to get a fistful of your special treats. As you begin to pull your hand back out of the jar you realize your hand is stuck, you cannot get it out of the jar. You twist your wrist around, wiggle the jar, you give your hand a solid tug, but your hand is stuck in the treat jar. You realize in order to get your hand out of this slightly narrow-necked jar you need to open your fist, let go of the treats. As you open your fist, let go of the treats, your hand easily comes out of the jar. You change your strategy and sprinkle some of your treats into a bowl and enjoy.
This story represents a life lesson. I want to encourage you to ask yourself this question, “What are you holding onto right now that if you chose to let go of it, it would help you move forward toward your Bold Goals?”
This has been a question that I ask myself. This is a powerful question that is worth your time investment to seek out and find the answer. Taking action on your answer from this exercise can catapult you forward in your journey.
Here are a few examples of the things I have made the decision to let go of because they were holding me back in my journey:
· Letting Go of Focusing On What I Cannot Control.
· Letting Go of Perfectionism.
· Letting Go of Holding Grudges.
· Letting Go of Unproductive Emotions – Anger/Resentment/Frustration.
· Letting Go of Comparing Myself To Others.
· Letting Go of Keeping Score.
Today I want to unpack, Letting Go of Keeping Score.
Measurement Is Motivation.
There are many opportunities in the (roping) arena for measurement.
For example, number of times you catch vs number of times you miss, your time on the stopwatch, how many swings you take, how far down the arena you track your cattle, how much money you win, where you are ranked in the standings.
In my book, Heart Of A Champion,” I share how I was outcome obsessed by looking each week at the WPRA World Standings. I was an Extreme Standings Watcher. The World Standings is a form of measurement, but when I looked at them, I was comparing myself to others and I was focused on the finish line at end of the rodeo season. I had no control over those things and my hyper-focus on them was unproductive. For me, this was a big blind spot until I began digging deeper and using the World Standings to help me unpack the lessons and the learns from this form of measurement. I started by limiting myself to look at the World Standing to once a month. I became a Master of reflecting and self-evaluating everything that I did. Relentlessly asking myself these 3 questions: what went well, what can I do better, and how I can do it differently.
You Measure What You Treasure.
Measurement is important for progression. However, measurement is the beginning not the end of your progression. Measurement is data, information, feedback. Each time you obtain a measurement it is an updated Baseline not the Finish line. Your growth is not defined by the numbers. Your growth is inside of the numbers.
Learning how to extract the lessons and implement the learns is the prize in your number crunching. Once your lessons are learned, you want to have Selective Amnesia, aka Short Memory, and let go of the rest. There is absolutely no value in holding onto hurts, disappointment, fails, embarrassment, and regrets. Letting it go is the first step in moving forward.
The Score: Season 3, Episode 9 with Donene Taylor and Lari Dee Guy
Each time you ride into the arena, ride into the box, you want to reset your scoreboard to 0 – 0. It is a brand-new run, a brand-new ride. Implement the lessons and take your next step forward. Holding onto past experiences or focusing and forecasting on the future holds you back because you are not being present.
In order to perform your best, it is imperative to be where your feet are, have present moment focus, and own the moment. The present moment is where you have the most control and power.
Resetting your scoreboard to 0 – 0 will help you to not let your last big win be your last big win. Resetting your scoreboard to 0 – 0 will not allow your losses to define you. Keeping a 0 – 0 scoreboard will help refine you and maintain an open mind. Competing with a 0 – 0 scoreboard allows you to let your hair down, have fun and compete your best.
Are you ready to compete at your best and start seeing some real changes in your performance? I would be honored to help you get where you’ve always wanted to be. Contact me to begin my ninety-day one-on-one coaching program, Master the Art of Winning. We will work together to achieve your Bold Goals. For more information go to DoneneTaylor.com or find me on social media @DoneneTaylor.
