How to Be Brilliant 1-50: 19

19: Stay Lean. Get rid of the baggage, physical and mental. Think cowboy: horse, saddle-bags and blanket roll. Think Anne Frank: a diary and her faith. Think Roger Bannister and the number 4. Don't get slowed down. Don't make it complicated. Stay Lean.

The Story So Far:

1: Decide. Decide to be so. To be kick-ass, stadium-rocking good at what you do. Be it fishing, presenting, parenting or fixing cars. Decide. You'll never look back.

2: Do it better. For no other reason than you can. Answer the phone more promptly and with an even friendlier manner. Craft an even better report. Give them even more value in your training module. Make an even more perfect doppio espresso. Whatever. Do it better, simply because you can. You will get noticed.

19: Stay Lean. Get rid of the baggage, physical and mental. Think cowboy: horse, saddle-bags and blanket roll. Think Anne Frank: a diary and her faith. Think Roger Bannister and the number 4. Don't get slowed down. Don't make it complicated. Stay Lean.

The Story So Far:

1: Decide. Decide to be so. To be kick-ass, stadium-rocking good at what you do. Be it fishing, presenting, parenting or fixing cars. Decide. You'll never look back.

2: Do it better. For no other reason than you can. Answer the phone more promptly and with an even friendlier manner. Craft an even better report. Give them even more value in your training module. Make an even more perfect doppio espresso. Whatever. Do it better, simply because you can. You will get noticed.

19: Stay Lean. Get rid of the baggage, physical and mental. Think cowboy: horse, saddle-bags and blanket roll. Think Anne Frank: a diary and her faith. Think Roger Bannister and the number 4. Don't get slowed down. Don't make it complicated. Stay Lean.

The Story So Far:

1: Decide. Decide to be so. To be kick-ass, stadium-rocking good at what you do. Be it fishing, presenting, parenting or fixing cars. Decide. You'll never look back.

2: Do it better. For no other reason than you can. Answer the phone more promptly and with an even friendlier manner. Craft an even better report. Give them even more value in your training module. Make an even more perfect doppio espresso. Whatever. Do it better, simply because you can. You will get noticed.

19: Stay Lean. Get rid of the baggage, physical and mental. Think cowboy: horse, saddle-bags and blanket roll. Think Anne Frank: a diary and her faith. Think Roger Bannister and the number 4. Don't get slowed down. Don't make it complicated. Stay Lean.

The Story So Far:

1: Decide. Decide to be so. To be kick-ass, stadium-rocking good at what you do. Be it fishing, presenting, parenting or fixing cars. Decide. You'll never look back.

2: Do it better. For no other reason than you can. Answer the phone more promptly and with an even friendlier manner. Craft an even better report. Give them even more value in your training module. Make an even more perfect doppio espresso. Whatever. Do it better, simply because you can. You will get noticed.

3: Discover and work to your strengths. They come 'easily' and hence you can become really, really good at them. Nurture your nature. But along the way, fix the potential critical weaknesses. You may be a cool designer, but you need to turn up on time. Sure you are a wonderful band but you need to be able to price your gigs. And you are a wonderful presenter but can you follow-up on actions after the pitch?

4: Look after yourself. To be the best version of you, to be brilliant, it's (literally) vital. Do less and achieve more. Take quality breaks. Take a retreat. Spend time re-charging. Get enough sleep. Read for inspiration. Spend more time with those who encourage and support and less time with those who are negative and criticise. Allow yourself to get it wrong. Look after yourself.

5: Be curious. Fanatically, absolutely curious. About your subject, about the periphery of your subject and of stuff outside your subject. The future belongs to The New Renaissance Man. Over-specialisation got us into this mess: so hunkered down in a silo, we didn't notice the impact elsewhere. Get out of the silo. Get out on the street. Read widely, discuss broadly. Be curious.

6: Invest in yourself. Always have a book on the go. An audio version in the car, a pod-cast on your iPhone. Immerse yourself in that new skill until you have got it. Discounted cash-flow, unplugged presenting, copy-writing. Invest, invest, invest. Once you have got that skill nobody can take it away from you. You are constantly becoming more valuable. Invest in yourself.

7: Help others. Why not help others? It's fun. You learn a lot about yourself. And some, in return will help you. And in a tough, turbulent world everyone of us needs all the help we can get. Help others.

8: Walk regularly. Sure it's good for your heart and lungs. But it's remarkably good for your brain, too. Get out of the office, leave ALL technology behind. Walk to the deli a couple of blocks away and as you do: enjoy the weather (rain or shine) and think. When you come back you will be better. Refreshed, thoughtful and a couple of problems in perspective. Walk regularly.

9: Focus. Once you have decided, focus. Give it time. Swimming will be hard the first few times, nobody will want to speak to you about your new initiative initially. But hang on in there. Others will want to 'do something new'. Not yet: give it the proper amount of time. Focus.

10: Take breaks. Working long and hard causes the body to seek refuge in reptilian or fight/flight behaviour as it suspects the worst. All well and good but our greatest asset is then lost: our human ability to think and make choices. Take regular, real (no technology) breaks during the day. Get into the fresh air, leave the phone, walk and stretch. Notice true productivity (being effective) soar. Take breaks.

11: Rest. Sometimes, just let it go. Rest.

12: Consolidate. Every so often: stop and think. How's it going? Where am I making progress? What needs a re-think? What can I build upon, what do I need to change?Consolidate.

13: Have a Plan. The plan may or not be fulfilled. It may or may not execute as you would wish. But there is absolutely no doubt about it, if you have a plan for your presentation, interview, meeting, product launch, journey, book .....you are so much more likely to be successful. Have a Plan.

14: Be different. Not weird: that alarms people. But a coffee shop that opens in time for the first commuter train, a book-shop which understands books, an insurance company which has your interests at heart, a doctor who believes lifestyle does come into it....be different and people will come to you. Be different.

15: Prioritise. Yes: there is too much to potentially do. That's because you have a great Life and you have imagination. Don't solve 'too much to do' by working longer hours: you are simply pinching that time from another part of your Life, typically home/personal or health or all of those. No, be tough: what are the essentials in this part of my Life? Prioritise.

16: Be polite. It makes doing business so much more pleasant; it enables full and rounded communication; it creates trust rapidly. And of those who are rude and don't 'deserve' your politeness? Be polite anyway: you may well shock them into a whole new way of interacting with the world. Be polite and have fun.

17: Be enthusiastic. It's infectious. It's good for your health. It gets stuff done. Nothing to feel enthusiastic about? Huh? You ended up on one of the very few habitable chunks of rock in the known universe. It has a breathable atmosphere, water and great music. You, too, can be enthusiastic.

18: Stay hungry. The first album, the first consultancy job, the first novel, the first sale and installation: they're often your greatest work. You really, really wanted that work. Don't let success and/or busyness dilute your efforts and distract you from your vision. Wake up every morning darn hungry to do a great job. Rain or shine. Stack of dollars on the bed-side table or not. Stay hungry: learn from the greatest who lost that passion.

3: Discover and work to your strengths. They come 'easily' and hence you can become really, really good at them. Nurture your nature. But along the way, fix the potential critical weaknesses. You may be a cool designer, but you need to turn up on time. Sure you are a wonderful band but you need to be able to price your gigs. And you are a wonderful presenter but can you follow-up on actions after the pitch?

4: Look after yourself. To be the best version of you, to be brilliant, it's (literally) vital. Do less and achieve more. Take quality breaks. Take a retreat. Spend time re-charging. Get enough sleep. Read for inspiration. Spend more time with those who encourage and support and less time with those who are negative and criticise. Allow yourself to get it wrong. Look after yourself.

5: Be curious. Fanatically, absolutely curious. About your subject, about the periphery of your subject and of stuff outside your subject. The future belongs to The New Renaissance Man. Over-specialisation got us into this mess: so hunkered down in a silo, we didn't notice the impact elsewhere. Get out of the silo. Get out on the street. Read widely, discuss broadly. Be curious.

6: Invest in yourself. Always have a book on the go. An audio version in the car, a pod-cast on your iPhone. Immerse yourself in that new skill until you have got it. Discounted cash-flow, unplugged presenting, copy-writing. Invest, invest, invest. Once you have got that skill nobody can take it away from you. You are constantly becoming more valuable. Invest in yourself.

7: Help others. Why not help others? It's fun. You learn a lot about yourself. And some, in return will help you. And in a tough, turbulent world everyone of us needs all the help we can get. Help others.

8: Walk regularly. Sure it's good for your heart and lungs. But it's remarkably good for your brain, too. Get out of the office, leave ALL technology behind. Walk to the deli a couple of blocks away and as you do: enjoy the weather (rain or shine) and think. When you come back you will be better. Refreshed, thoughtful and a couple of problems in perspective. Walk regularly.

9: Focus. Once you have decided, focus. Give it time. Swimming will be hard the first few times, nobody will want to speak to you about your new initiative initially. But hang on in there. Others will want to 'do something new'. Not yet: give it the proper amount of time. Focus.

10: Take breaks. Working long and hard causes the body to seek refuge in reptilian or fight/flight behaviour as it suspects the worst. All well and good but our greatest asset is then lost: our human ability to think and make choices. Take regular, real (no technology) breaks during the day. Get into the fresh air, leave the phone, walk and stretch. Notice true productivity (being effective) soar. Take breaks.

11: Rest. Sometimes, just let it go. Rest.

12: Consolidate. Every so often: stop and think. How's it going? Where am I making progress? What needs a re-think? What can I build upon, what do I need to change?Consolidate.

13: Have a Plan. The plan may or not be fulfilled. It may or may not execute as you would wish. But there is absolutely no doubt about it, if you have a plan for your presentation, interview, meeting, product launch, journey, book .....you are so much more likely to be successful. Have a Plan.

14: Be different. Not weird: that alarms people. But a coffee shop that opens in time for the first commuter train, a book-shop which understands books, an insurance company which has your interests at heart, a doctor who believes lifestyle does come into it....be different and people will come to you. Be different.

15: Prioritise. Yes: there is too much to potentially do. That's because you have a great Life and you have imagination. Don't solve 'too much to do' by working longer hours: you are simply pinching that time from another part of your Life, typically home/personal or health or all of those. No, be tough: what are the essentials in this part of my Life? Prioritise.

16: Be polite. It makes doing business so much more pleasant; it enables full and rounded communication; it creates trust rapidly. And of those who are rude and don't 'deserve' your politeness? Be polite anyway: you may well shock them into a whole new way of interacting with the world. Be polite and have fun.

17: Be enthusiastic. It's infectious. It's good for your health. It gets stuff done. Nothing to feel enthusiastic about? Huh? You ended up on one of the very few habitable chunks of rock in the known universe. It has a breathable atmosphere, water and great music. You, too, can be enthusiastic.

18: Stay hungry. The first album, the first consultancy job, the first novel, the first sale and installation: they're often your greatest work. You really, really wanted that work. Don't let success and/or busyness dilute your efforts and distract you from your vision. Wake up every morning darn hungry to do a great job. Rain or shine. Stack of dollars on the bed-side table or not. Stay hungry: learn from the greatest who lost that passion.