A view from the topPeak performers think and work according to a set of successful formulae
- The Straits Times Recruit - January 13, 2007

WHY do successful people always deliver peak performances, while ordinary folks hand in average results? This is because peak performers subscribe to a certain set of beliefs and attitudes.

They work to the best of their abilities
Peak performers work to the best of their abilities. They enjoy their work and make it fulfilling. They create good working conditions and motivate their staff to put in their best efforts.

Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho's father was once bankrupt, and his mother was ill with tuberculosis. She pawned all her jewellery and auctioned all her properties. On her deathbed, she asked Stanley to redeem the family name.

At 19, the shy but ambitious young man fled from Hong Kong to Macau to seek his fortune. There, he worked hard to the best of his ability. In fulfilment of his promise, he ended up controlling Macau's gambling industry.

When asked if others had had the same opportunities as him, Mr Ho replied: "I followed the market very closely and had to work very fast, because competition was so keen that you could lose your money in a couple of hours. I was single. I worked very hard."

There is a solution to every problem
Peak performers are adept at finding solutions. Apparent problems surface first. Get to the real problems and then identify the root causes. When there are problems, there are opportunities.

Ordinary people fear problems. Peak performers see problems as stepping-stones to opportunities.

Few dare to venture into a territory where there are problems. Where the river is calm, fishermen gather. As a result, there is not enough fish to go around.
Few go fishing where the river is choppy, but that is precisely where the fish are.

Peak performers have mental discipline
Peak performers are in control of their thoughts and can change their attitudes, behaviour and actions. They take charge of their lives. They place great responsibilities on their own shoulders and take action to get the results they want.

They learn from past failures and do not dwell on their mistakes. They focus on the present and move on. Average performers know what to do, but they do not do what they know. Peak performers know what to do and take action.

When Federal Express founder Fred Smith attended Yale University Business School, he wrote a project paper on the concept of overnight package delivery.

The professor gave him a C minus, reasoning that the proposal had little potential, as the postal industry was monopolised by the US Mail. Who would want to send a package through another courier when there was the US Mail?

Undeterred, Mr Smith put his money where his mouth was and started Federal Express.

On the first day of business, his goal was to deliver 167 packages. However, he only delivered seven, five of which were packages sent to himself.

But he persevered with his vision, and today, Federal Express is one of the world's largest overnight delivery services.

You are more than what you think you are
You have a lot of untapped potential. Within you is a vast reservoir of talents that you can access. People become peak performers by tapping into this vast potential.

Peak performers live by the motto: "If he can do it, so can I."
New peak performers have the skills to model themselves on other top achievers to obtain results. They believe in the 10 most powerful two-letter words in the world: "If it is to be, it is up to me."

Mr George Foerstner of Amana created a new market by selling freezers to homes.
His selling method was unique - instead of promoting the bulky and expensive freezers, he sold wholesale food door-to-door. When households purchased huge quantities of food, they needed freezers to store it.

If the other person can do something, so can you
Peak performers have the same brains as most people. The difference is that they utilise their brains more effectively. They use effective strategies to reach their goals.

Mr Clarence Birdseye (think Birds Eye frozen peas) invented the quick-freezing process and sold it for millions of dollars.

After the sale, he re-examined the quick-freezing process and reversed it. He experimented in his kitchen with a fan, the heat from an electric coffee maker and some bread.

In the end, he developed the process of dehydrating food, and his name has become synonymous with good-quality frozen foods.

Your brain is like a computer. It comes with the standard hardware. You can learn how to install the necessary software and programme it to achieve peak-performing status.

Article contributed by Michael Lum, an American Board of NLP trainer. E-mail: lum1128@HardKnocksCollege Website: www.HardKnocksCollege.com

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just when everyone is saying studying is sickening.. i am sick of it .. i rather work like me.. some pple are like me at one of the most unexpecting stage of their life. the next step will probably change our lifestyle forever and the destination which we will end up on will be utterly different depending on this v step now.

its the time of undergrads to polish up their resumes, coverletters, shoes and cufflinks.. for its time to meet their first full time employer. i am totally unprepared. my resume sucks. my cover letter aint impressive.. things arent really looking up.. considering 90% of accountants are employed.. i am no where near the dean's list ( results arent good enough.. and not that bad either) i am THE AVERAGE STUDENT which u can hit with a rock thrown randomly in any direction. but i am not giving up. cos i believe in myself. meaning.. things will work out. even if they dun .. i will make them work out.. of course.. to 'have things work out' is completely relative. its like defining sucess.. so lets all work hard together~ happy 2nd week of sch and 3 months 4 days to graduations.. lol