Howard Falco is a peak performance coach, mindfulness expert and spiritual teacher. He is the author of two powerful books on human understanding and potential, I AM: The Power of Discovering Who You Really Are and Time in A Bottle: Mastering the Experience of Life.

His teachings specialize in the realization of the power we each have within to create exactly what we desire. Revealed is an awareness regarding how to break through any perceived personal limitation and how to overcome any challenge in order to achieve what is believed as possible.

Favorite Success Quote

"It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves" ~Sir Edmund Hillary

Key Points

1. All of Success is About Conquering Yourself

Most people assume that success is all about the mechanics.

They think it is about taking the right action, saying the right things in sales calls, or making all of the right moves.

But in reality, success is a more personal endeavor.

Yes, it is important that you are doing the right things and taking the proper actions, but that is not your main prerogative.

Before you even start to think about what words to write on your blog, how to approach that lead, or how to improve your product, you need to remember that success starts on the inside.

Guess what, no matter what you are striving for, you will face failure at some point in your life, however, if you have developed yourself, if you have conquered your own emotions of fear, doubt, and unconfidence, you can return from any failure and be victorious.

2. Personal Identity is Crucial to All Peak Performance

I am sure that all of you are familiar with Tony Robbins, the (in)famous life and personal development coach who has become a legend in the industry.

Tony has an interesting tactic for helping people overcome their addiction to cigarettes.

Instead of telling them to stand in the mirror and recite "I am a non smoker" every morning or telling them to burn their packet of Marlboro's, instead, he has them change their identity.

How so?

He has them take up an activity or hobby that is completely incongruent with their identity as a smoker like cross country skiing, marathon running, or yoga.

This works because the former smokers now see themselves differently. They see an athlete, a champion, a warrior, and not someone addicted to a disgusting habit.

What Tony helps them do is to create a new belief system and personal identity.

And while this principle applies to addiction, it also applies to peak performance.

If you have developed an identity and personal belief that you are a high performer, that you are someone who shows up and does what needs to be done, then you are going to perform on a high level.

However, if you consider yourself to be average, if your identity is that of a mediocre man, then your results will continue to be average.

You need to develop an unshakable identity as a high achiever and peak performer before you can expect to achieve highly or perform at your peak.

3.Ask Yourself Why Not Me?

Have you ever had a dream, a passion, a longing for something, but you thought to yourself, "That's not for me, I will never achieve that."

Have you ever looked at another man with envy thinking, "There is no way that I will ever be that good, not me."?

If so, then you need to wake up and realize that the question you need to start asking yourself is "Why Not ME?"

If you have a goal, if you have a dream, if you have a vision, then wake up and fight for it.

Why not you?

Why shouldn't you achieve all of your wildest hopes and dreams?

Why shouldn't you become the best man that you can possibly be?

Why shouldn't you have a life that makes you wake up every morning and think "Wow what did I do to deserve this?"

4. Go With the Flow of Change

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make in any endeavor is to stick to rigidly to the old axioms and ways of thinking.

As Bob Dylan says, "The times they are a changing" and if you want to succeed at the game of life then you need to be able to change and adapt with the times.

This is true in every area of your life from your health and business down to your relationships and spirituality.

For example, if you do not change and adapt your exercise regimen to your body as you age, you are going to injure yourself or hit a plateau.

If you are not adaptable in your business, you will become like Kodak and follow your "Old Ways" straight into obsolescence.

Or if you are in a relationship and you are not able to evolve and adapt to your partner's growth and maturation, you will quickly find yourself in a miserable relationship or all by yourself.

As Bruce Lee said "Be like water", be willing to change and adapt to the world around you.

5. Greatness Takes Sacrifice

No one has ever achieved greatness without sacrifice.

No one has ever joined the halls of the masters without blood, sweat, and tears.

If you want to be remembered, realize that it will take sacrifice.

You will lose friends, girlfriends, and maybe even family.

You will lose sleep, leisure, and years of "having fun".

But in the end, if you are committed to the right thing, it will be worth it.