Your Best Work Yet

Home , Bradbury Robinson, Eddie Cochems

5 Days to Your Best Work Yet

ISBN-13: 978-1542352499

ISBN-10: 1542352495

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments i

Hike the ball 2

Day One 9

Day Two 18

Day Three 26

Day Four 33

Day Five 45

Ok, so now what 51

30 Day 53 Breakthrough

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my wife Jenna who has been by my side and seen me wake up every day to fight the battle I desire to see everyone win.

You have made this journey far richer and more valuable. Your insight and encouragement are woven into the fabric of who I am. Every life I have the privilege of impacting is better off because I have you in my life.

You’re also a kick ass Mom. Brooklyn told me to tell you.

Before we start…

Although I love great design work – this book created to be simple.

It’s meant to be an essential resource to help you get going in 5 days. By the end of the week – your work and life will have shifted direction and you COULD take a massive step forward in your work performance.

You and I are human beings, which means we won the lottery. We can change, grow and go after anything in life that we want. As Jim Rohn said…If you don’t like how things are, change it. You’re not a tree.

So, what needs to change?

In the next five days could you?

Discover what breakthrough feels like? Begin to double your performance at work? Cut your stress in half? Increase your energy and be more excited every day? Being to unleash your human potential?

If any of these sound fun to you….then let’s continue.

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HIKE THE BALL SLAM INTO THE LINE HOPE FOR BREAKTHROUGH

22 Deaths. 150 serious injuries.

No it’s not a story from the war front, these were statistics from the 1905 college football season. The game had become brutal.

However, this was the good ole boys game and this was the way the game was played – you hiked the ball, you slammed into the line (the other team) and you hoped for breakthrough. There were different way to do this but at the end of the day it was just hike the ball, slam into the line and hope for breakthrough.

There became a large movement to cancel football due to its level of danger, and there was a very real chance the game would be outlawed.

President Teddy Roosevelt stepped in and offered some alternative suggestions. He acknowledged things had to change but also wanted to preserve the game he loved. So new rules were drawn up and put in place. These rules would be an innovative step forward for the game and increase the safety of the players.

The 1906 season was kicking off and honestly, there was little anticipation of the new rules. There was a way to play football

2 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET and these new rules….. weren’t the way you played ball.

As players around the country took the field in the crisp fall weather of September 1906 – they had no intention of changing their approach. Hike the ball, slam into the line and hope for breakthrough worked last year, so wouldn’t it work this year?

Out west the narrative was different as Saint Louis University took on Carrol College. Both teams lined up and started the game just like everyone else but a bit into the first half Coach Eddie Cochems of Saint Louis University sent the signal to his star play Bradbury Robinson.

Brad called the play and the players broke the huddle and as he hiked the ball, instead of slamming forward, he dropped back... the crowd came to a hush as this caught them off guard. After dropping back and waiting a moment he placed the ball in his hand and heaved it forward over the heads of the men who stood blocking in front of him.

As the ball was in the air the crowd went completely silent, they had never seen anything like this before. They looked on as Jack Schneider who was running down the field missed the catch and the ball bounced off the ground. The referees signaled a turnover due to the incomplete pass the crowd began to jeer and shout.

This failed completion was the first forward pass attempt – ever. In the history of football.

After a few strong defensive plays, Saint Louis University got the ball back and the offense returned to the field. Conventional thinking would have been to resume hiking the ball, slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough. It had worked in the past – so why not keep playing that way.

Side note…The reality is when there are new rules or ways of

3 JOSH SCHNEIDER thinking available to us in life we will face resistance in applying them. It will be different – and most of us don’t like different. Let alone the voice inside our head, others will try to keep us safe and prevent the potential failure that comes along with change.

As Bradbury stepped to line to hike the ball he knew what had to be done. He had to push aside the failure of the last play, to silence the jeers of the crowd and focus on the opportunity in front of him. So…. he hiked the ball and dropped back just like last time. Again he placed the ball in his hand and heaved it forward toward the streaking Jack Schneider.

But this time it was different, Jack caught the ball and ran like hell towards the end zone – and in the process made history.

Saint Louis University went on to win the game 22-0 and finish the season undefeated. Not only did they not lose a game but they also outscored opponents 407 – 11.

Today in the workplace, there are new rules which we can activate and play by. New rules that when you put into our playbook will give us the edge we crave in this rapidly evolving business economy.

The interesting part about the forward pass was not until 1913 (7 years later) did it started to take root in football. Its use was solidified when Notre Dame used a passing style of play to finally upset the goliath of the time, Army.

Coach Cochems said in an interview:

“It’s really a puzzle to me why the other teams are not given new style plays by their coaches,” he went on to say “Eastern elevens are using nothing but the old-style formations… It will be a matter of a season or two until the coaches throughout the country come around to my way of thinking or I will be badly

4 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET mistaken.”

Just because something has been done a certain way doesn’t mean it’s how it should always be.

It’s not too late to adapt to a new style of play and unleash untold possibility. The opportunity has not yet passed for you too to unlock your potential.

Now enter 5 Days to Your Best Work Yet.

In 5 days we will take a massive step forward in your performance at work.

When I was at the CPA firm I found a majority of my work related questions were answered with - what did we do last year?

This is not about what you did last year. This is about what you’re going to do this year…. and the next and the next.

If we’re going to disrupt our work and innovate our personal performance to unleash new possibilities it’s not going to be doubling down on what’s worked in the past.

The time to disrupt our work is right now. Like today.

Don’t believe me – hold on to the way things have been for another year and it could be the year that you give up on your dream – or your goals slip past you one last time.

It’s time to no longer just play it safe.

Actually, when did being risk adverse become the safe move? At what point in our personal history did we decide that playing safe was going to help us live the life we ultimately wanted.

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During the 1906 season a forward pass if incomplete was treated the same as a punt. So if the pass was incomplete it was ruled a turnover. Turning the ball over in the wrong part of the field was a huge risk.

That huge risk – rewrote the history of football. This one time incredible risk is now the cornerstone of a great superbowl winning team. The quarterback. A position that barely existed at one point and is now one of the highest paid positions in the NFL.

Taking the right risk has huge reward.

The time of hiking the ball, slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough is done. It’s time to hike the ball, step back and actually GET BREAKTHROUGH!

In your career and development - NOW is the time to take a step back and change how you show up every day – this guide will give you clarity and objectives in how to achieve that.

THIS IS ABOUT UNLEASHING THE VERY BEST YOU.

Maybe through this we can create the life and work you ultimately want.

It doesn’t matter if you’re on the top of the mountain or if life finds you digging a trench of safety at the bottom – this book will help you become more engaged and tap into your human potential.

Life has brought you here for a reason – and although that reason may not be abundantly clear right now it, as you take steps forward it will become evident.

When we begin to step into alignment with our strengths,

6 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET values and development, life will honor that. But if we don’t make a step in that direction we stay stuck with our current circumstances just….hoping for breakthrough.

Brad Robinson first discovered the art of throwing a football when he was at a different University (Wisconsin) practicing his punting. He noticed that H.P. Savage who was catching his punts could throw the ball back as far as he kicked them and inquired from H.P. how to best throw the ball. This was in 1904.

If in 1904 Brad hadn’t been asked to kick the ball for his Wisconsin team that year, he may not have spent as much time with H.P. meaning he wouldn’t have begun to develop his skill and talent in throwing the ball.

Life will honor us when we step towards alignment – but we must first make the step.

The new rules and principles we’ll discuss are simply….human. How to be more human – how to get into alignment with what feels right and how we best operate. What we’ll discuss is rooted in science and over millions of data points in engagement and performance research.

At some point….

We all look up and say – no longer do I just want to hike the ball, slam into the line and hope for breakthrough. It’s in this moment where we have to step forward regardless of the risk. If you’re wondering where to step forward…keep reading ☺

------Life is not about fighting the old stuff, it’s totally about embracing the new. ------

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DAY ONE

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DAY 1 WHERE ARE YOU….

At times in our life and career we decide that no longer is it ok to just hike the ball, slam into the line and hope for breakthrough. Instead….

WE WANT BREAKTHROUGH.

No longer just hopes and dreams. We want actual results – and if we don’t get the results we want, how we manage ourselves becomes very important.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to always be at the next level…. (shout out to my first book Generation NEXTLEVEL: Define Your Purpose. Create Your Future) but we must also learn to be content with where we are.

Wait…what did I just say?!?!?

------There is nothing wrong with wanting to always be at the next level – but we must also learn to be content with were we are ------

If we cannot develop being content, we lose context of what’s important and the power that a patience can create for us….

What is a next level?

A next level could be anything from getting serious in a relationship, doubling down on your career growth or realizing

10 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET that the $1.6 million you made last year could have easily been double if you had focused in on your performance and not focused on your weaknesses.

Gage really quick – no deep thinking here….

Rate your current level of happiness with your current results?

 ------☺

One thing I’ve found is that whatever mark you put on that scale – we’re all probably at least 20% more towards the ☺ then we give ourselves credit for. Every decision we’ve made up to this point in our life has lead us to where we are. Right, wrong and plain stupid have all created the collective experience and knowledge we currently have. If you don’t like….

Do as the great theologian Taylor Swift does….SHAKE IT OFF.

Remember…

------Life is not about fighting the old stuff, it’s totally about embracing the new. ------

Your life is probably better than you think it is. At least that’s what I tell myself. If you think the struggles you face are too much go to Netflix and check out Chef’s Table Season 2 and find the episode with Gaggan Anand. That’ll give you proper perspective…I cried as I experienced what that man had overcome.

Day 1 isn’t about right or wrong or feeling pissed – it’s

11 JOSH SCHNEIDER simply a matter of identifying where you are. Even if you’re lost, you still have to identify where you are on a map and find the way forward.

It’s your life – and when life gets into right alignment, time begins to serve you.

------To have the greatest success in our assignments – we must first be in alignment. ------

We have to flip this thought. Time is actually on our side. Hold on….who said what we have to achieve by 30-40-50 or even 60?

At one point in time – encyclopedia Britannica was the standard….

Yes, really. I googled it so you know it’s legit.

If you’ve been head down grinding away on something for 5 years and haven’t gotten what you want….does that mean it’s time to quit?

If you’ve missed the promotion 9 times…does that mean you’re not worthy?

If you’re just realizing that there is a direction or idea you want to pursue with your work or career is it too late?

The answer to all of these is no – time does not define our value….unless we let it.

I don’t care if you’re 55 and have been a stay at home mom your entire life or a 32 year old trader who has seven figure bonus checks. When life reminds you that you’re out of

12 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET alignment it’s time to take actions towards getting back into alignment.

The moment you realize you’ve been slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough is the moment you can step back and alter your approach.

If we really are going to move forward we have to be very honest about where we are.

Our level of honesty will dictate how much insight we gain into our current reality. It will also gauge our current level of self- awareness.

Answer this question in the space below.

Where are you currently in your career and life? Are you happy? Do you have a vision?

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In what ways have you been “slamming into the line just hoping for breakthrough”??

Take an inventory of the following questions:

What are some of your greatest frustrations at work? (Check all that apply)

o The people you work with? o The culture at work? o The work you have to do? o Lack of creativity and innovation? o The pace of work? o The personalities of those you work with? o Lack of growth? o Constantly being blocked on forward thinking projects and ideas? o A bad manager? o Poor executive leadership? o Bored with the work you’re doing? o Feeling stuck in your career growth? o Travel – too much or too little o The type of clients you work with o The problems you are constantly solving

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How impacted by these frustrations at work are you ?

Take an inventory of the following questions:

What are some of your greatest joys at work? (Check all that apply)

o The people you work with o The culture at work o The work you get to do o The amount creativity and innovation? o The pace of work o The personalities of those you work with o Growth opportunities o Opportunities for fun, exciting projects and ideas to take flight o Direct manager / boss o Fantastic Executive leadership? o Excitement and joy with your work o The type of clients you work with o The problems you get to solve at work

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How engaged and energized do you find these “joys” make you in life/work?

Capture any additional thoughts or ideas that surfaced as you went through the two lists.

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Day 1 isn’t designed to make you hate your job, hate your boss or think you’re not doing enough. It’s about becoming self- aware of your situation.

A large misconception we have about ourselves is that we are broken – or broken in our approach. We are not broken. We are simply out of alignment which can have us feeling broken.

Alignment is powerful…for example:

Golf Ball: When a golfers swing is out of alignment by just one or two millimeters it becomes the difference between a straight drive and a slice into the trees.

Spine/Back: When just one vertebrae or disc in our back is out of alignment our entire body is highly impacted by the pain.

A swing can be corrected. A bad back can be adjusted…and so can misalignment in our lives, careers and dreams.

Once again – it’s not broken, just out of alignment. The fact you’re noticing something is out of alignment is so…. so… healthy. Because time can be on your side….

Tomorrow we are going to take a step forward in the process of no longer just hiking the ball, slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough.

How are you feeling now?

☺ ------☺

I know – it’s two smiley faces ☺ See you tomorrow!

DAY TWO

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DAY 2 WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?

Day 1 helped provide a little insight into how you feel about your work while allowing you to assess your current reality.

Day 2 is about identifying where you want to go – what will it look like when you begin to get to the next level.

If we are going to start hiking the ball, stepping back and not just hoping for breakthrough we’ll need to renew our mind and approach.

To renew is to restart…..To have a fresh start.

The players at Saint Louis University had to overcome the negative thoughts others had about them when breaking the traditional way football was played.

When they stepped back onto the field after turning the ball over they had to renew their thinking about the forward pass. This renewed thinking helped them march into the end zone time and time again throughout the season as they crushed the opposition.

We must not only renew our mind in our approach to how we work (the focus of days 3-5 of this book) but also renew our thinking towards what it is that we ultimately want.

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We can get so fatigued by constantly slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough that we lose perspective of where we wanted to go in the first place. This has happened to me many times as an entrepreneur – when there isn’t food on the table I’ve had to vary my approach to get some quick wins and begin shifting my focus to how much money I need to survive on a daily basis.

This quickly becomes the normal way of thinking. Survival and just hoping for breakthrough become the dominating thought process (consciously and non-consciously). When I realize this, I have to stop, then renew my thinking and reorient my focus to what I actually want – not just what I need to survive.

So what do you want?

Let me just say – I don’t believe that most of us are designed to be entrepreneurs. To really be an entrepreneur you have to ask yourself some very serious questions about your desire to lead, sell, strategize, execute, implement, survive, tinker, sell, execute better, survive, repair life relationships, lead, survive, repair relationships, get the markets attention, learn, pass on sleep, reinvent, sell more, redo website, sell…. You get the point.

I didn’t totally understand the gut load of risk and potential stress of not collecting a paycheck for weeks or months on end would be like – until I was in the middle of it. Not to say it’s not worth it but I do believe that for so many amazing human beings there are jobs and roles inside of organizations that can be tremendously fulfilling and put less stress on life.

If we’re out of alignment, it hurts and sucks. Many times what may seem like an unfulfilling job or role can be made better by getting into proper alignment – more to come on this.

So again…. What do you want?

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If we’re going to disrupt our work and change the outcome to get what we desire – we will have to step back and establish a clear vision on what it is that we actually want. Where it is we actually want to go.

I’m not asking for your 5 year plan. Nor am I asking for your strategic life goals….

What I’m asking is do you want in your career and in your work in the next 6 months?

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Ok – now go a little bigger picture. If your mind is comfortable with the idea go out 12-24 months or even a few years down the road.

Sketch out (draw a picture or symbol) what your career or life will become – something that would inspire the idea of this forward movement.

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There can be some very real emotions involved with what we’ve done the last two days. Especially today.

I know when I do exercises like this it can sometimes remind me of everything I’ve wanted in life yet not fully achieved or received. It’s ok – if you’ve dredged up some past thoughts renew your thinking to realize you’ve just become more self- aware of what you desire.

An extended period of hiking the ball, slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough can become damaging to our belief system towards our own goals and dreams.

Chances are you may also be buzzing with ideas, thoughts, habits or actions you feel you NEED to start doing if you’re going to make up for lost time. Let me tell you.

CTFO…. chill the F out.

Yes.

It’s natural – it happens to me all the time and raw excitement is a great thing to have. But how quickly that excitement can spill over into OH SH*T is where issues can arise.

This is when we need to breath in, breath out and say “Josh, CTFO”

Remember time is on our side. Instead of getting lost in the frenetic pull of everything we think we need to do, let’s take a strategic approach to move forward. Take a minute and list out the actions, activities, habits or ideas that bounced into your mind. (next page)

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10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Now – go back through what you have listed and pull the

24 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET top THREE that are the most important. Which of these three (ideas, actions, habits) will lead you to the greatest success.

This matters because without consistent focus – progress will be derailed as we try to take on too much at once. This helps us have proper perspective when we will want to default back to slamming into the line and just hoping for breakthrough…..and trust me the desire to run back to your old way of operating will seem so sexy in that moment.

------The divided mind tries to accomplish what the undivided mind does. ------

Rest well tonight my friend you are well on the way to creating some of your best work yet.

Watch out for “the others” (a good old Lost show reference) who are too busy slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough who may try to convince you that you’ll get hurt if you try this different approach.

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DAY THREE

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DAY 3 WHAT AM I BEST AT?

Days 1 and 2 have laid the foundations for identifying where we are and where we want to go. Now let’s start going….

Let’s start with the most amazing question in the world!!

WHAT AM I BEST AT? (What do you love to do)

Think about your work over the last few months and identify the work/tasks/projects that are most energizing/strengthening to you…

Think about your work over the last few months and identify

27 JOSH SCHNEIDER the work/tasks/projects that are most draining/weakening to you…

On a weekly basis how much time do you spend doing work from the first box. (strengths) ___% On a weekly basis how much time do you spend doing work from the second box. (weaknesses) ___%

In order to move towards no longer just slamming into the line and hoping for breakthrough – we need to do less of the weakening tasks/projects and more of the items from the strengthening box.

Yes – this is strengths vs. weaknesses.

It’s honestly one of the most important aspects to a successful life and career. It may take years to fully unleash your strengths. But the journey towards reaching the pinnacle will be so beautiful as you dis-cover more about what you’re truly capable of and how to exploit the best parts of you. I’m always

28 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET having to renew my thinking and reorient my day to lead with my strengths and put the negative thinking of my strengths behind me.

Starting today – I mean right now…or tomorrow if you’re reading this at night. Pick one of the elements that strengthens you at work and do it every day for the rest of this week. EVERY DAY.

Write that one thing down here:

Gary Vaynerchuk has found the one thing that so badly keeps us stuck is the romantic version we hold of ourselves.

Don’t worry about picking the perfect strength for you to activate. Don’t survey 9 people and write about it in your journal and….think about it and decide to start next month. Pick the one that you can begin putting to work immediately and consistently this week. As in RIGHT NOW. There is some activity, a process, a way of thinking that strengthens you at work. You HAVE to identify what it is and do it every day for the rest of this week.

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Let’s not get romantic about this and worry about perfection.

If you want to change the previous strength to something that is “less romantic” go ahead and use this space below to capture what it will be!

To get massive breakthrough in our performance, WE HAVE TO STOP slamming into the line and just hoping for breakthrough…..

To unleash the very best us we have to do that inspires and strengthens us. No questions asked. It’s simple human economics.

WHY? Is this so important.

In our lives we’ve been conditioned to focus on the things that don’t go well. We’ve been taught to improve the elements of our life that aren’t the best.

Yes, an awareness of weaknesses is important but focusing on them is not the strategy to reaching our potential. Focusing

30 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST WORK YET on our weaknesses will not help us unleash our human greatness. It’s the best parts of us that will do that.

When we brought home a report card our parents weren’t concerned with the A’s and B’s. It was the C’s, D’s and F’s that drew their attention. Our teachers pushed us to try harder in the areas where we fell short and maintain status quo effort on the A’s.

As this habit was repeated we learned not to put as much effort into the A’s and because we didn’t apply more effort towards the A’s we lost out big time.

------We lost because instead of putting our effort into what we’re best at and developing our talent – we focused on what we sucked at and became average in the process. ------

Our brains and habits became conditioned to operate this way. It’s human for us to want to do what we do best – however it’s been conditioned into us to think about fixing what’s wrong.

This is so absurdly wrong.

We have to ask ourselves all the time, everyday – What am I best at? What am I best at? What am I best at?

We have to rewire the way we’ve been taught….and begin thinking A’s first, A’s second and C’s last.

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------School taught us to fix the C’s. Screw the C’s. Unless you want to just be average. ------

Gallup research has shown that people who consistently use their strengths at work are SIX TIMES MORE ENGAGED.

SIX. As in 600%

…..imagine a 600% boost in engagement would do for our happiness, brain performance, creativity and stress management. A lot I would imagine.

Focus on what strengthens you at work and in all situations never stop asking….

WHAT AM I BEST AT.

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DAY FOUR

DAY 4 WHY AM I HERE?

Other than yesterday when was the last time you asked yourself the question what am I best at? It’s something I don’t do enough – and although yesterday we didn’t cover the full expansive approach to putting our strengths to work for us what you did was take a MASSIVE step forward in unlocking your performance potential. I’m proud of you for making it to Day 4.

Back when I worked at the CPA firm I was out at a client on a cold winter night in February. I’m pretty sure it was a Wednesday and my coworker Jen and I were crunching through some cash flow statements. During a quick chat break she said something that initially had me laughing pretty good. Jen said to me…(this is a direct quote)

“When the numbers match – I get a tingly feeling”

Yes, this is 100% true.

Like I said, I laughed and shrugged it off. It wasn’t until years later when I was telling the story of Jen that I began to realize how profound a statement it really was.

When she completed the work of auditing an account and the numbers matched it brought about a feeling of fulfillment for her.

As comical as it is Jen had clarity on what gave her joy and excitement at work. She understood what made her tick and brought joy and meaning to her world –she had identified her “tingly feeling.”

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Do you know what gives you a tingly feeling at work? Jot down some potential ideas…

THE EMPLOYEE BRAIN

If I asked you do you like your job – you would obviously know the answer. Yes, no, it depends…whatever

But do you know why you feel the way you do about your work/job? Our “employee brain” has different elements to it and although we don’t process through all of them on a conscious level they are a large part of what makes up how we feel about our work.

Take time to go through the “employee brain” elements listed below and you’ll start to capture a larger picture of how you feel about your work.

They also give great indication to where we may find our tingly feeling at work.

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Values: Consider your values and what is important to you. What excites you. What makes your heart beat. Does the organization or people you work for share any of your values? Do you resonate with their corporate values or the altruistic work they provide?

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Pace of work: Do you like to be on your feet. Do you love a run and gun atmosphere? The tension? The peace? Always on environment? The hunt of the next big deal? Predictable and steady?

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Clients: Do you love the clients you serve. Do you like being removed from them. Do you like working closely with clients? Do you love getting client feedback? Do you wish you had more interaction with your clients? Less? Do you enjoy talking to them?

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Problems: Are you energized by the problems you get to solve at work? Are you excited by the problems that you get to work out and how it benefits the company? Do you get jazzed up by tackling large problems? How do you feel about the problems in your work culture?

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Opportunities: Do you get to chase down opportunities? Do you get excited by the markets and business opportunities your organization seizes? Do you love tackling large, obscure opportunities at work and receive satisfaction from solving them? Do you like short run development? Do you prefer a long opportunity cycle?

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Industry: Do you love the industry you are in. Do you love the products you create? Do you have passion to see this product or service innovate? Does the industry you’re in tug in some ways on your heart.

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Personality: Do you love who you get to be at work? Do you get to be yourself? If you love to think outside the box – do you get to? Do you get to be creative if you enjoy that? Do you get to complete systematic work because that type of process and structure completes you? Do get to take on the risk load you desire?

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As we become more clear on these elements it gives us understanding and self-awareness to what we do and don’t love about our work. It begins to piece together how our brain and heart feels about our work.

These questions are great to revisit and dig deeper on because the answers construct how we feel about our work.

We are constantly processing on these but mostly at a non- conscious level so developing an understanding of how we feel about these different elements will give us a greater clarity to where the tingly feelings are for us.

If you’ve had more clarity regarding a potential tingly feeling in your work – use the space below to capture it.

Also, I hope you’ve had a little chuckle at my expense over the use of the phrase….tingly feeling. ☺

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By working to identify our tingly feeling at work and developing a picture/perspective on our employee brain we begin to get insights into WHY we work where we do.

With clarity into this why – we can take control of our own engagement and excitement about the work we’re doing. This will MASSIVELY impact our performance. Capture the tingly feeling and chase it – make it the centerpiece of your work.

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DAY FIVE

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DAY 5 WHO AM I BECOMING?

I’m 100% sure yesterday was the first time in your life that you asked yourself the question…what gives me a tingly feeling at work. It’s funny I know but it’s so critical to our success and performance that it’s not even funny…. See what I did there?? Funny, not funny…anyways, horrible joke. Let’s get on to day 5.

Today we ask ourselves – WHO AM I BECOMING?

What comes to mind when you read that question? What habits, style, actions, thinking or character entered your awareness of who you currently are becoming? Capture them here:

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Who do you want to become over the next 6-12-18 months? What habits, actions, skills or character are you most interested in developing?

We will face challenges and delays in our career as well as large opportunities and seasons of explosive of growth. The reality is….

Work can be frustrating. Projects can take too long. Coworkers can test our patience. Our manager can have it out for us. Our division head can have the wrong impression about us. We may be stretched too far on a project. Stress to keep performing is causing us to crack We may be in over our head. We are at work so much our family life is slipping away. And on and on…

But how we develop through these situations is what matters.. How we keep moving forward in the midst of chaos

47 JOSH SCHNEIDER and who we become through the process is what’s important for the long run.

------When we can get clear on who we are becoming – through any season of challenge, change or success we gain experience that stretches our capacity and builds an unshakeable resilience. ------

Let’s get practical:

What habit/skill/attitude/element MUST you absolutely continue to develop for you to become the person you want to be?

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On the flip side what habit/skill/attitude/element has to stop in order for you to become the person you want to be?

Lastly, when we can adopt the approach to disrupt ourselves before someone else does we will put our development into the fast lane.

The reality is it’s either going to be us doing the disrupting or it is going to be someone else.

So, it mine as well be us.

In 1904 when Brad Robinson started practicing and developing his ability to throw the ball he began disrupting himself. Someone was going to come along and become the star quarterback and put him out of a job, it mine as well have been him.

Why didn’t the big hotel chains invent Airbnb? Why didn’t

49 JOSH SCHNEIDER the taxi companies go to an app based system and prevent Uber? May I also remind you when the iPhone launched, Blackberry had over 50% of the market share….

Regardless of how “safe” you feel – nothing can protect you from a disruption possibility.

Let’s learn from what we can see is coming and disrupt ourselves and unleash our best work yet!

Where are your best opportunities to currently disrupt yourself?

Navy SEALS are either on a mission, or training to be on a mission. They are constantly preparing for today and tomorrow. When we take an approach to disrupt ourselves – and focus on who we are becoming we prepare ourselves for not only our work today but also what is coming next.

When we get clear on who we are becoming and take a disruptive approach to our work and development – we operate out of a completely different context.

No longer is it just about today – but it becomes about winning in the long game. Just like Bradbury we are doing the work for today while also developing and preparing for a future that is certain to be different.

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OK, SO NOW WHAT?

What I’ve laid out here isn’t the only strategy out there. In fact, it’s not even perfect. There are 100’s other books that will share elements of what I’ve laid out. There are courses that will provide you with other strategies including the 27 steps you’ll need to take and the 9 things you have to know now. Also, don’t forget the 3 habits you must stop now! And you can go read them if you want…

But what you cannot do is stop with this resource right here – you have to continue onward. Once again this isn’t perfect but it is naturally human. Don’t let the romantic version of the perfect strategy and formula to unleashing your best work keep you stuck wondering for one more day what the next step you should take is.

I’ve certainly burned a couple years of my life searching for the…. better strategy.

This book was designed for human consumption and behavior you can actually implement…at least for those of us who aren’t super human.

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For 30 days use the breakthrough journal (following pages) to keep your focus and help the renewal process.

It will absolutely rewire the way you think and the way you approach your work. 100% you cannot go through this and approach work the same way.

I remember I was on a call with a mentor a few years back and he said Josh…. rule #1 Stay in the game. Rule #2 refer to rule #1. If you stay with this and obey rule #1 and stay in this game…you’ll be just fine!

Your friend. Josh

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30 DAY BREAKTHROUGH JOURNAL

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 1

I will no longer just hike the ball, slam into the line and hope for breakthrough. Today, I will play to my strengths, do what excites me and constantly develop myself so I can unleash my best work yet.

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 2

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 3

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 4

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 5

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 6

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 7

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 8

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 9

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 10

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 11

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 12

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 13

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 14

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 15

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 16

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 17

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 18

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 19

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 20

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 21

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 22

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 23

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 24

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 25

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 26

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 27

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 28

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 29

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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30 Day Breakthrough Day 30

My three focus points for today: 1.

What Am I Best at (strength at play today)?

Why Am I Here (tingly feeling in action)?

Who Am I Becoming (part of me that’s growing)?

Use the space to capture thoughts about today – the wins – how you used strengths – what felt right or a reminder of what the end zone looks like.

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JOSHUA SCHNEIDER

Keynote speaker & Director at the Millennial & Employee Engagement Institute

In the trenches of a well-paid CPA firm, learning first-hand the hard cost of disengagement and how Millennials worked, Josh Schneider knew something had to change - so he did something about it. What he did was form a coaching company and work with organizations and individuals to increase performance, energy, and happiness. As the impact of disengagement rose, Josh wrote the book Generation NEXTLEVEL, which calls the next generation of leaders to play to their strengths and do work that matters.

To increase the impact of his work Josh founded The Millennial & Employee Engagement Institute to curate and develop research to help unlock people performance and consult businesses to transfer leadership to the next generation. From labor studies and engagement work with Sikorsky Aircraft, to working with the small business owner down the street Josh truly understands the future of the workforce and how to engage it.

He has been featured on Under30CEO and the CEOhour talking about business and people performance with strategies for reaching the next level. From the stage Josh brings a passion that is contagious, an energy that’s undeniable, and innovative ideas that work in today’s new business climate.

To reach out [email protected]

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