Transformation. Personal growth. Self-improvement, self-development, self-empowerment.
It seems like these buzz words are everywhere these days, & in fact they are. Everywhere you look you see people on the fast track to transformation: blogs, articles, books, podcasts all based on transforming yourself into a better version of yourself. Take a look around the gym during your next workout, & you’ll probably see people working hard to increase their strength, fitness, stamina all in the name of self-improvement. Watch TV for a few minutes, & you’ll probably see some sort of ad for the new rage in weight-loss medicine; a great example of self-development & self-empowerment.
How can some people make it look so easy, & why am I struggling to get over that proverbial hump that’s between me & where I want to go?
If you’re stuck in neutral or in reverse on your path to transformation & your personal growth objectives maybe you should reconsider your process. One simple way to rejuvenate your process is by incorporating the KASH Method (Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Habits). The KASH Method can help you get from Point A to Point B successfully, it can help you achieve lasting, positive changes, & it can also help you achieve the transformations you are looking for over & over again.
Knowledge
Let’s start with knowledge. The more you know the more power you have, the stronger you are, & the more confident you become.
The foundation of knowledge is your self-grasp, your understanding, of what it is that you seek to be knowledgeable of. In this particular case we’re discussing self-improvement, growth, transformation. In order to get to where you want to go (I like to use the term getting from Point A to Point B) I believe that it is crucial to identify honestly where you are right now if indeed your goal is to improve, or to get from Point A to B.
Without an honest self-evaluation how do you know what it is exactly that you are looking to improve upon? How do you know what deficiencies you need to correct? Take a minute, gather up all the knowledge possible about your current situation, & gain a thorough understanding of where you are.
Next, work your hardest to identify where it is, your Point B, you want to go. Simple example coming back to the above-mentioned weight-loss medicines. With a little research, perhaps a conversation with your Doctor, you can probably land on a safe, healthy target goal for your weight-loss. Sure, we can always just pick a random amount of weight ourselves, but with a little guidance from an expert don’t you think your goals may get a little more refined, maybe even a little more achievable? Seeking out knowledge from someone a little more knowledgeable or experienced than yourself is a noble thing!
Finally use what you know to develop a plan. Everyone’s plan can & will look different. No need for us to copycat somebody else; odds are we won’t be able to replicate their path because it is exactly that – their path! But, use the knowledge acquired to map your course of action out. Most times this is the simplest way to stay on task & to hold yourself accountable.
Attitude
The KASH Method is kinda like a table with 4 legs. Each leg plays a very important role in the stability of the table. If 1 leg is shorter than another the table might wobble. If 1 leg breaks the table may fall over. Same with the KASH Method: If you focus too much in 1 area then the stability of your process may wobble or even break. However, to me, the attitude part of the method is arguably the most important. Without the right attitude, knowledge gained won’t be as much. Tough to acquire the right skills if you don’t have the right attitude. No way you’ll establish great habits without a great attitude.
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An example is the basketball player. Those players who are constantly seeking improvement, & who use both inspiration & motivation properly are usually the ones who advance at a higher level. Those who use any missed shot, any failed objective, any mistake as a “get to” moment. Those who “get to” focus more on the next shot. Those who “get to” achieve the next objective. Those “get to” learn & grow from the mistake. A great attitude to adopt that is transferable to many, if not most, scenarios is that I “get to” get better today. You control if you have to do something, or if you get to do something. So today, you “get to” take care of your daily tasks, you “get to” experience events & actions as you choose to experience them, & you “get to” move forward. Those with that attitude are the ones who make it to the next level.
Skills
Now that we’ve acquired knowledge & set our attitude right let’s work on developing our skills. Without skills to use this knowledge & without skills to capitalize on our great attitude then what good are we? Many people look at skills more from the physical perspective (how the basketball player shoots the ball) than from the mental perspective (how the basketball player reacts when they miss the shot). Don’t overlook either!
Physical skills will play a bigger role in some personal development journeys than others. It may be more important for an aspiring football player to be able to lift heavy weights than it may be for an aspiring author. You can decide, through knowledge & attitude, what physical skills you need to improve on in your journey. Whatever your physical journey is, taking care of your physical skills will feed the mental skills. So, if you are an aspiring football player or an aspiring author take care of your physical well-being depending on your needs for your own personal journey. But at the very least, by taking care of your physical well-being you are feeding your mental process.
Mind over matter. A very generic term & 1 that we’ve probably all heard. It goes without saying that without the mental determination to achieve a goal the goal probably won’t be met. Think, reflect, pause, process. All of these are steps in the mental skill game that should be a part of your journey. Thinking is a skill just as reflecting, pausing, & processing are. Use them all to capitalize on your acquired knowledge. Use them as tools to accentuate your great attitude. By combining our mental & physical skills with our knowledge & attitude we are now ready to jump into building great habits to establish ourselves & our patterns.
Habits
You’ve worked hard along your path to improvement. You’ve acquired solid knowledge. You’ve forged ahead with a great attitude. Your skillset is unique & compliments your journey. Now let’s put all of these to work for you by establishing great habits.
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Prior to his time with Kashbox, JP spent 28 years as an NCAA Lacrosse Coach (22 years as a Head Coach). During that span, JP had the opportunity to coach with & against some of the top lacrosse coaches in the country.
What are good habits for you or bad habits for you all depends on you, your surroundings, & your own personal journey towards success. If your family & colleagues need your best in the morning then it’s probably not a great habit to sleep in late each morning. On the other hand, if you need to be at your best late at night, you probably shouldn’t become an early riser. Get it? Habits depend on your needs, surroundings, & requirements. While many routines are viewed as either good or bad please remember that only you can establish what works for you versus what doesn’t work for you. Just because a friend, colleague, or neighbor has a specific set of habits that have led to their successes this does not mean that those same habits will produce the same results for you. Use others as examples for sure, but at the end of the day you must establish the best habits for yourself so that you can fully maximize the KASH Method in your life.
“Get To” Make This Choice
Constant learning is a habit that can be viewed as universal. Regardless of at home or at work, if you are willing to be a lifelong learner, then constant improvement is possible. For those who aren’t humble enough to embrace lifelong learning the journey for transformation won’t take an upward trajectory. Instead they’ll find themselves stalled out on life’s journey as their lack of humility tells them that they are accomplished, learned, or experienced enough. Remember, even the best at their craft can still improve! This improvement may come from more experience gained, more knowledge learned, developing a skillset, or seeking an attitude adjustment with positive benefits.
As long as you stay grounded & humble, as long as you embrace a lifelong learning process, & as long as you seek to establish the most knowledge possible, the best attitude, the right skills for your journey, & the habits that allow you to utilize these to the best of your ability then you are on your way to success!
HAVE FUN OUT THERE, & ENJOY THE RIDE!!!!!
Along with his responsibilities as an NCAA Coach, JP has also been a small-business owner for the past 22 years. He founded & built a successful lacrosse camp business that, in addition to camps, expanded into travel teams, clinics, lessons, & consultations.
In both of his careers as an NCAA Coach & small-business owner, JP has helped to teach, coach, mentor, & develop hundreds of players & coaches.
