When I was in my twenties, I loved buying expensive shoes at Nordstrom. While I’m not nearly as obsessed with fancy shoes as I was in those days, I still enjoy splurging once in awhile on a great pair of kicks. In fact, I know plenty of women whose appetites for shoes and other fashion accessories have only increased over the years. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what people decide to spend their money on because it’s a personal decision. Some women like shoes. Some men like motorcycles. Most people at some point or another ask asks themselves the following question: How can I play my position better? As much as we’d like a one-size-fits-all answer, no such thing exists. A vacation to Maui every spring is the answer a friend of mine offers. More naps is the answer of another. And I’m not joking. Figuring out who we are, what we stand for and what we want in this life are universal themes we will encounter. Some meet these questions early and get them all dialed in. Others spend a lifetime trying to unravel the knots of expectation thrust upon them in childhood before they had a voice of their own.  I have always known who I am and have two incredible parents to thank for allowing me and my brother to be who we were growing up rather than trying to fit us into some kind of mold that wasn’t aligned with our core. Playing our position is tough enough without having to battle external forces for the right position. Life is fundamentally about the paradox of embracing and accepting being who we are while figuring out how to do that better each day throughout our lives -- in the face of enormous and inevitable change and social pressure to conform to someone else’s ideal of who we should be. Thank goodness Nordstrom is still around for those times when nothing but a new pair of shoes will do the trick. #pyp

In the second half of my conversation with Thor Conklin, Thor gets into the details of how to execute on the plans we make for our lives, our businesses, our careers. Think that’s easy? It’s actually not. For the last 16 years, Thor has been obsessed with finding out what makes the difference between the people who succeed wildly in life and the ones who say they want to succeed wildly -- but never do. With the same energy and enthusiasm as he put forth in the first half, Thor doesn’t skimp on the value he freely shares with Team PYP. It’s practically impossible not to want to run out and get stuff done after listening to him walk through the parts of his Ultimate Success Map. This is an episode you will want to listen to again with pen and paper so you can catch more details of Thor’s Ultimate Success Map the second time through and apply them to your life.

It’s fun listening to Thor Conklin. He is full of energy, insights and passion for helping people achieve peak performance. What I noticed right away about Thor was his conviction: what he shares with us in the first half of our conversation in today’s episode is nothing less than spectacular -- and totally doable. That’s another quality I admire in Thor. He breaks down big ideas that may at first seem too far out reach to someone just getting started or in a place of confusion. There is a reason, after all, why Thor is a successful business owner, author, executive coach and content-driven podcaster. Gritty, experienced and accessible, Thor brings to bear what holds people back from realizing their full potential. Through his latest venture, Peak Performance Nation, he teaches the tools, tips, tricks and strategies necessary to be a Peak Performer  no matter what you do for a living. He qualifies the psychology of success in one word: Execution. His mantra is, “Nothing you’ve learned matters – unless you can EXECUTE!” We hear you, Thor! Game on!

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Being the Best. I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s book The Dip this week. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it. In a nutshell, The Dip is a book about helping readers figure out when to keep going, when to quit and “having the guts to do one or the other.” Sounds simple enough, but it really isn’t. A Short Book with a Long Punch. The Dip is a short book, but it packs a long-lasting punch. It gets you thinking about what you’re doing, and whether or not what you’re doing is worth it. It tells you that it’s easy to start things, and not so easy to hang in there until you’ve achieved mastery. One of the themes of the book is being the best at something. How do you know if you’re the best? What does being the best really mean? Why aren’t more people the best at something? These are but a handful of the many questions he asks.

Make 2017 Extraordinary!

“The best professionals I’ve ever met are always improving. They are never stuck in one place.” Claudio Toyoma, PYP #62

The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is always a great time to reflect, ruminate, and recharge. What better way than to showcase the best and brightest insights from the 2016 roster of PYP MVPs than with a highlight reel? Today’s episode continues the spirit of compiling key plays from each guest’s playbook to inspire you to kick off 2017 with energy, excitement and enthusiasm for what’s next. I’ve decided 2017 is going to be extraordinary and look forward to having more conversations with fascinating people who will show up and bring their A game to us. My gratitude extends to my loyal listeners of PYP and to the 2016 PYP MVPs: Asa Mathat, Dana Corey, Dr. Cynthia Boccara, Giovanna Rossi, Claudio Toyoma, Dr. Carol Parker Walsh, Matt Heinz, Rob Barisoff, Dan Kimble, Elizabeth Case, Jane Leslie, Jeany Park, David Taylor, Brandon Gaille, Kelley McElreath, Kris Miller, Paul Maskill, Marina Darlow, Nellie Akalp, Tanner Gers, Nate Osborn, Dave Sanderson, Jo Miller, Jeremy Barnhart, Ally Machate, Britney Gardner. Happy New Year, everyone!