Vintage Self

 

In Pursuit of Vintage Self

There are certain times in my life where I have performed at such high levels that as I look back over I wonder what it would be if this became my daily mode of operation. Looking back at when I did very well in sales or when I was writing my first book and putting together my first course, I realize that I was in a particular state of mind that guaranteed great results. I would say that I was in a state of flow and everything was possible in those instances.  I was truly at Vintage Self. What do I mean when I talk about Vintage Self? What is vintage and what conditions do I need to meet in order to regularly get to vintage self?

Vintage is mentioned many times in relation to or denoting wine of high quality. The definition however goes beyond wine and looks at many other products. This is why we talk about Vintage cars among others. When we refer to something as vintage, we are looking at it as something from the past of high quality especially representing the best of its kind. It means something representative of the best, most distinctive and most typical. A vintage product is characterized by excellence, maturity and enduring appeal. Your vintage self therefore is the best, typical, distinctive, highest quality version of yourself. This is what you need to pursue constantly. As you look at your life, have you had moments where you produced vintage stuff in whatever compartment? Share such moments in the comments. Every time you work, serve or do whatever it is you are doing, are you delivering vintage results? Are you constantly delivering your A-game? Does what you do carry a touch of excellence, maturity and enduring appeal? Are your results memorable?

Vintage Wine

A number of conditions needs to be met if a crop is going to deliver vintage wine. The timing of different activities in the process of cultivation is critical to the success of this endeavor. The region and location where the crop is cultivated is also a factor in the success. Prevailing weather conditions during the life of the crop determine how well it will come out. The crop must also be protected from unwelcome visitors which may end up interfering with what the farmer has worked so hard to put together. What is done at harvest time also determines the final product. The bottom line is that a vintage crop is no accident. High quality wine or anything for that matter does not come about by chance. There is need for you to control the variables to ensure crop success. What variables do you need to control in your own case to ensure you are producing exemplary results?

The kind of results we are looking for might be different but there are certain conditions which we all need to meet to position ourselves where we are producing the best results. Environmental design is critical to great results (we are products of our environment), Character development (what are you made of?), Our company (The people we spend our time with), Managing distractions (focus)

Just like the right weather is needed at different times in the growth of vines to produce wine, you need to create the right environment for yourself to bring out the best results. Your environment determines how well you can concentrate on the task at hand. What kind of environment is ideal for the type of work you do? Some work well with regulated white-noise while others want total silence to function. Two people studying might require different set ups to focus on the task at hand. It is important to understand yourself and what you need to function effectively so that you prepare your environment accordingly.

Who do you need to become to produce your best results? The idea that who you are is cast in stone is a fallacy that must be dispelled. We all have capacity to grow and become the best versions of ourselves. To get to your vintage self will call on you to marshal all your capacity for growth and development. You cannot be the same person you were when you were not producing vintage results. What do you need to cut off from your life to get to your best self? What do you need to add to who you are to guarantee the best fruit? The conditions must be just right. A good crop cannot survive long in a crowded field. Character development can be likened to weeding, pruning and thinning your field. These are all activities that shake up the crop and field in serious ways. While weeding gets rid of clearly unwanted plant life, the latter two work on the plant itself. Are you ready to work on yourself and chisel your character into shape? Pruning will get rid of parts of the plant which do not add value to it. What do you need to cut off from your life because it represents zero or little value? What is competing for your resources yet it doesn’t bring added value? Same case happens with thinning. While pruning is about cutting off parts of the plant, thinning gets rid of entire plants. Are there segments/compartments of your life that need to die completely? Where and how are you willing to die in order to go to the next level? Top dressing your crop is also part of its growth process. You should look at this as the things you are adding to your character to become better. Ask yourself what you need to add to your life to deliver a vintage crop. Set yourself up for a vintage harvest by doing the right things now.

You are the sum total of the five people you spend most of your time with. 1 Corinthians 15: 33. Bad company ruins good morals. You cannot disentangle yourself from the way of life of your close confidants. If you want to experience a vintage harvest, you cannot continue to hang around people who are comfortable with average results. Reevaluate your friendships and close associations then adjust accordingly. You don’t have to cut people off completely but you can reduce contact with them while increasing contact time with those who matter to your quest. Don’t waste your precious time with those who are not adding value to your life but do not throw them under the bus unless they totally merit it. As you build connections, seek to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. The moment you realize you are the smartest person in the room, the wise advise that you leave that room immediately. Which rooms are you leaving right now? Which new rooms do you need to enter where there are people smarter than you? As you share with others who are learning from you, see to it that you are also sitting in rooms where you are tapping from wise minds. People form part of your external environment and they have a huge impact on how your life turns out. Make sure you are surrounded by the right kind of people. This will position you where you are all set to reap a vintage harvest.

Vines are attacked by many different pests at different times. Among them are climbing cutworms, European red mites, grape berry moths, grape leafhoppers, grape phylloxera, grape root borers, grape cane gall makers, grape cane girdlers, grapevine flea beetles, Japanese beetles, red-banded leaf roller, Rose chafers and nematodes.  What pests to your focus do you need to rid yourself of? Is it Email and Social Media? Do you get distracted by colleagues who pop in and out of your office unannounced? What are you weak and wobbly around? Do you lose track of time and your goals when you get hold of that interesting Netflix series (I can relate). What steals your focus so easily? For some of us just a little setback is enough for us to throw the year away. You must learn to rise above discouragement, disappointment and disillusionment. Others suffer from shiny object syndrome. We are so focused until someone comes along with a plan that seems like what we’ve been waiting for. Right there and then, our eyes get off the goal and off we run to chase the next thrill. Too many things are present in our lives and surroundings whose aim is singular-to move us from what we need to be focused on. I love the analogy of how predators mark out their prey and focus on it to the exclusion of everything else. It doesn’t matter who else shows up along the way, once they are locked in on their target, they do not turn to the right or left until the prey is secure in their hands. To produce a vintage harvest requires extreme focus which is only possible by ruthless management of distractions.

Get set physically, mentally and emotionally. Are you in tip-top shape in these three areas? Everything hinges strongly on how you are doing here. Manage your body through great nutrition and physical exertion. Keep your mind young through constant renewal. Ensure you have a great relationship with your emotions where you don’t allow them to run wild while you are also not keeping them caged. If you are sound in these areas, everything else will take shape as needed.

I would like to help you set yourself up for a vintage year. You are welcome to join my Free Introductory Master Class where I share great insights on expressing your Vintage self. Make 2021 a Vintage Year and build on it in the years to come. WhatsApp me on +254725832477 or email asenasam@gmail.com to book your spot.