A couple of years ago I was introduced to the concept of positive pressure.
Simply put, you make a commitment to something, put a timeframe on it and you’re set. This commitment might be something simple like booking a holiday, paying a coach or buying a book or it could be something bigger like quitting your job to start your dream business, buying a house, or setting a date for a wedding you haven’t started planning.
For example. In September 2017 I booked a 7 week trip to South America. My main motivation for doing so was that I had found myself unable to delegate effectively in my business. This trip caused a wave of positive pressure which forced me to empower my staff and put them in positions where they could grow, learn and evolve. Fast forward 18 months and although there have been ups and downs and positives and negatives from this experience. I can look back now and identify that this was one of my biggest growth periods, both individually and for Virtus.
Once your task is set, there are now three potential outcomes.
#1 You do what you said you would do, embrace the process, become the person you need to be to succeed, and enjoy the fruits of your effort. Able to look back proud of what you’ve achieved.
#2 You have a crack, you fall short, but you learn plenty about yourself and you live to fight another day
#3 You fail. But you fail because you didn’t even try. Either the ‘thing’ that you set wasn’t as important to you as you thought, or you played small, stayed frozen in your comfort zone,
I believe that you should always be employing positive pressure, identifying a stretch goal, and going for it.
For the last 143 days, I’ve been keeping a daily journal, this in itself was a stretch goal (which I’m proud to say I now couldn’t live without) My intention was two fold. 1. Improve my writing 2. Hold space for my thoughts, ideas, struggles and wins. For me, this was and will continue to be, positive pressure.
One day I want to write a book. One that empowers others to set and chase their wildest dreams and desires. One that enables you to find that thing that sets your soul on fire and chase it with everything you have. I am not currently capable to do this, or do it justice. But I will be…
Writing consistently is going to be a big part of that. Which is where my newest positive pressure project has come from.
Welcome to the Virtus Daily Blog
The journal is great, but (mostly) i’m the only one who reads it. I needed a medium where I could put ideas out there, to be criticised, to be shot down, be improved, to a point where others could read, and apply the lessons and thoughts that I’m diving into. Sometimes I feel that it’s not even me who is writing, but a subconscious, higher thinking version of me.
The Virtus Daily blog will be just that, a daily blog. 365 posts a year, all centred around evolution. The best part, it won’t just be me, our whole team will be contributing their thoughts, ideas and expertise to grow their capacities, and to help you grow yours.
You can read blog #1 – Welcome. By clicking on this link, or you can find the blog on our new website at
VirtusPerformance.com
For me, its creating consistent, valuable content which I know can help spread and strengthen our message and help everyone who reads it in one way or another.
It’s not about the blogs. It’s not even about creating content or whatever . It’s about the person I will become by placing my trust and focus in the process, in the journey and I truly believe that positive pressure is the best way to do this.
What are of your life can you employ positive pressure to?
The time to start is now.
Be wonderful
Wallace.