Alissa Finerman

Los Angeles Executive Coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, Facilitator and Author

Rituals for Success

By 1 Comment

Rituals –> Success –> Living in YOUR Top 1%

Living in your top 1% (aka personal success) is a continuous journey rather than a race with a start and finish. You celebrate wins along the way and always seek out ways to improve, expand your thinking, and take on new challenges. True top 1%ers always looks for ways to raise their game and ask, “Am I living up to my greatest potential?”

Living in YOUR top 1% embraces nine important rituals (I elaborate on each ritual in my book, Living in Your Top 1%). I am sharing these rituals to help you move through various transitions in your life. Feel free to add as many rituals as you need to be your best. It’s important to know that your top 1% level is dynamic and constantly evolving.

1. BE THE CEO OF YOU INC.
Assess YOU INC. on a continuous basis

2. EMBRACE A CAN-DO MINDSET
Add the words “I can” to every challenge

3. EXCEL WITH YOUR STRENGTHS
Identify and use your key strengths

4. GO FOR THE GOAL
Set goals annually and take one small step each day

5. THINK WITHOUT OBSTACLES
Visualize the ideal outcome

6. LIVE IN YOUR STRETCH ZONE
Move outside your comfort zone

7. DRINK A CUP OF RESILIENCE
Rise up in the face of challenges

8. PRACTICE THE THREE Cs: CHOICE, COMMITMENT, AND CONSISTENCY
Match your words and actions with your goals

9. BRING BALANCE INTO YOUR LIFE
Make conscious decisions

Top 1% Bottom line: Success is not defined by what society or others think is right for you but by what makes you feel fulfilled and adds meaning to your life. It’s time to explore your top 1% and develop your personal set of rituals!

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

 

Living in Your Top 1% Interview Series with Julie Weiss – “If you can dream it, you can achieve it”

By Leave a Comment

The goal of the “Living in Your Top 1%” interview series is to break down the qualities of people who excel and to show that you can be successful and achieve personal greatness from any starting point in your life. The interview series looks at people from all different careers and industries. Some names will be familiar and others may not. The purpose is to understand and borrow from the “best practices” of winners to develop a roadmap to YOUR TOP 1%. We will share a new story each month.

This week’s guest is Julie Weiss aka the Marathon Goddess. I first met Julie at my book signing in LA at Barnes & Noble. She shared her exciting journey of running 52 marathons in 52 weeks to raise money/awareness for Pancreatic Cancer (which took her father’s life). She had a lot of amazing ideas that she wanted to put into action and I loved her energy and passion to make a difference. We spent some time working together and she’s never looked back.

Julie is taking on a huge challenge with an open heart and determination and is filled with much hope. She is putting her dream into action and we wish you the best of luck on your incredible journey. She will featured in the upcoming documentary about running, “Spirit of the Marathon 2.”

Alissa Finerman: What’s the most important strength you possess that allows you to be successful in your role?
Julie Weiss: I have always been a very positive and optimistic person. That’s a huge strength. Even before I started running, I knew there was the opportunity for greatness within me, and running has helped bring it out. Running has given me a gift. Through running I have discovered things I didn’t even think were possible. Many people will look outside of themselves for strength and or happiness, whether it is clothes, a new car, food, etc. I believe and have found that when you are optimistic it creates opportunity and allows people to achieve the impossible. I also like to surround myself with positive people and spread inspiration and hope wherever I go.

AF: What does success mean to you?
JW: I believe success is doing what you love. In order to be successful I truly believe the only way to achieve that is to love yourself first. It has to start with you.

Success comes from within.

Success is being healthy, waking up every day and being grateful that you are alive. By having a feeling of gratitude and love, this will allow you to go after your dreams with greater passion than you ever thought possible. Success comes from the heart, not from your bank account. The heart has beats and to be successful you need to make sure those beats are spent wisely and for a purpose. To me, that is success!

AF: What inspired you to start Marathon Goddess and pursue such an incredible goal (run 52 marathons and raise money for Pancreatic Cancer)?
JW: My father, Maurice Weiss, was my greatest fan and most challenging critic. He was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in October 2010 and I lost him only a month later. Our greatest dream was for him to see me qualify for the Boston Marathon where we would go together. I ran the Sacramento Marathon for him two weeks after he passed. I finally qualified for the Boston Marathon on December 5th, 2010, after nineteen attempts. I ran it in 3:47, finishing with my fingers pointing to him in heaven. In 2011, I ran Boston and although my dad wasn’t there in person to see me run, I know he had the best seat in the house — my heart.

My father always did things in a big way. After I ran Boston, I knew there was more I could do. I had heard of people running 52 marathons and thought, why not me? I can do that! And now, I am running with greater passion and purpose to help change the course of history and raise over one million dollars to find a cure for Pancreatic Cancer. One of the goals is to increase public awareness and government focus on finding cures for the nation’s fourth leading cause of cancer deaths.

AF: What motivates you on a daily basis to keep going?
JW: To stay in the moment and be grateful for the miracles in your life. This includes appreciating the small things, like a flower or your car, and bigger things such as your children, pet, home, or friends. Often, we get so overwhelmed with life but if you pause for a moment, there is so much to be grateful for. It is a collection of seeing the sweetness in all things good and the blessings even in the bad.

If you can dream it, you can achieve it.

AF: What role do goals play in your life?
JW: Setting goals and benchmarks will be critical in my upcoming journey. My #1 goal is to stay healthy so I can make this all possible!

AF: What obstacles/challenges did you have to overcome to start this new venture, 52 For You? How did people react to your idea?
JW: They said it was the worst thing they have ever heard. Some of the obstacles included overcoming the doubters, breaking out of my comfort zone, believing in my vision, and staying determined to redefine what’s possible. Stay tuned…

AF: What are some of your most meaningful accomplishments?
JW: My children, meeting David (my fiance), being a group leader for the LA Roadrunners, and being on a mission to change the course of history for Pancreatic Cancer.

AF: What do the top performers do differently to excel?
JW: They have a great attitude, a support system, and an unstoppable will.

AF: What’s next for the Marathon Goddess?
JW: Meeting with top government officials, appearing in a running documentary, writing a book, speaking around the world, and gaining federal funding for Pan Can.

Please visit Marathon Goddess to learn more about Julie and her fabulous journey. You can also donate to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network directly through her site and help make a difference, Marathon Goddess.

***

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

The Power 5 Ingredients for Living in Your Top 1%

By Leave a Comment

Healthy body = Healthy mind = Happier people and Higher performers

I believe that making healthy food choices, consistently exercising, building positive relationships, filling our lives with meaningful work, embracing a resilient mindset and setting goals promote well-being and overall health. Our quest is to find the ideal mix of the above ingredients to sustain a high level of optimal wellness (the ability to sustain positive routines). Regardless of the goal, the process to move forward is the same. Let’s take a look at the power 5 ingredients to success:

1. MINDSET

Having a positive mindset is like the special sauce you add to a good meal that brings everything together and makes it fabulous. Specifically, a growth mindset is key to sustainable change and following through with a goal. Here are the qualities you will need according to Carol Dweck, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist and author of Mindset, who has studied achievement and success for decades:

The ability to:

* Embrace challenges
* Persist in the face of setbacks
* See effort as the path to mastery
* Learn from criticism.

What can you do to have a winning mindset?

2. GOALS

People are frequently intimidated by setting goals and holding themselves accountable – and it makes a lot of sense. Declaring to friends or co-workers that you are going to accomplish something puts you on the line. Sonya Lyubomirsky in her book The How of Happiness offers compelling scientific research to support the theme that “people who strive for something personally significant, whether it’s learning a new craft, changing careers, or raising moral children, are far happier than those who don’t have strong dreams or aspirations. Find a happy person, and you will find a project.” Her research leads to six benefits of committed goal pursuit:

1. Provides a sense of purpose
2. Gives us something to work for and to look forward to
3. Enhances our self-esteem, stimulating us to feel confident and efficacious
4. Adds structure and meaning to our daily lives
5. Helps us learn to master our use of time and to identify priorities and divide into smaller steps as necessary
6. Promotes social connections which can be happiness inducing in the process of engaging with other people

The first layer of setting goals is to use the SMART goal formula:

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely

Now here’s the twist. The reality is you can set a strategically good goal that is not the right goal. Meaning, it doesn’t resonate. For example, a SMART goal could be that a client will lose 10 pounds by December 2010 by working out three times a week for 30 minutes and eating organic food. On the surface, that’s potentially a great goal. The issue is that losing weight may not be the true goal and having greater energy and confidence may be the driver. I encourage all my clients to dig a little deeper and move to the next level and ask tough questions to find a goal that rings true. The next time you set goals take a moment and ask yourself why it’s important? How much of a priority is it to accomplish the goal on a scale of 1 to 10? And what will success look like?

3. ACTION PLAN

Words are one thing but setting the process in motion is a whole new game. Too many people set goals and think the process will move forward naturally. The toughest part is to set goals and then craft an action plan that is doable, timely and harmonious with the stated goals. I encourage clients to think in time frames such as 30 day, three month and six month periods to gain direction and forward momentum. And most importantly, write down your plan and put it on a whiteboard so you have clarity on your next steps.

4. SMALL STEPS

Small steps are such an important part of this process. The irony is that small steps lead to quantum leaps, which people often doubt. It’s much easier to take three small steps even though it seems more natural to take one big step. Small steps are key to building confidence, de-cluttering the mind, gaining momentum and helping us adjust to the change process. We are trained to think big with an all or nothing approach but change happens one step at a time. We often get “stuck” when we think in big ideas and get overwhelmed. The question to ask is what is sustainable given your current lifestyle? The next time you set out to read an entire book in one sitting, start by reading a chapter or even a paragraph. Quantum leaps occur by taking small steps, being consistent and building confidence.

5. RESILIENCY into SOLUTIONS

Resiliency is crucial in the mix to successfully overcome one hurdle after the next. After setting a goal, people have very high motivation levels. Then a few days go by and new ideas and priorities settle in and all of a sudden the motivation level dramatically levels off unless the goal is a high priority. The dash of resiliency helps us bounce back when we hit a roadblock. This is where solutions come in. I encourage my clients to match obstacles with solutions. Most people list obstacles and stay parked at a red light. As soon as you hit an obstacle, spend the next 90% of your time focusing on solutions (per Tony Robbins) and 10% on the problem. Focusing on the solution will channel your energy to move the process forward which is what we want. Remember, the only thing we have control over is how we react to a problem.

The Power 5 can be used to pursue any goal in all areas of your life. It’s helpful to leverage your core strengths and apply those to areas that need additional love and attention. Perhaps it’s time to revamp a goal you’ve had for a while and toss some of these suggestions into your mix. Good luck and have fun!

Please visit www.finermanliving.com to learn more about coaching. To share your comments, please email alissa@finermanliving.com.

Believe in yourself,

Alissa

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

10 Secrets to Success

By Leave a Comment

The Investor’s Business Daily has studied leaders and successful people to produce these 10 secrets for success to turn your dreams into reality. They share stories each day to highlight one of these traits. I love these type of tips because regardless of where you are in your life right now, you can be successful and reach your dreams. It starts by believing in yourself. Read through the tips and see which ones you already do and which ones could be helpful to weave into your daily rituals. Would be interested to hear feedback on which ones you like and what else you would add to the list.

1. How you think is everything: Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.
2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals: Write down specific goals, develop a plan to reach them.
3. Take action: Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started. Just do it.
4. Never stop learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.
5. Be persistent and work hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
6. Learn to analyze details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
7. Focus your time and money: Don’t let other people or things distract you.
8. Don’t be afraid to innovate; Be different: Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
9. Deal and communicate with people effectively: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate.
10. Be honest and dependable; Take responsibility: Otherwise, Nos. 1-9 won’t matter.

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook