We are all trying to reach that next level of greatness – in our careers, families, and communities.  But in today’s hyper-competitive world, that isn’t such an easy thing to do.  In an environment of dizzying speed and exponential complexity, how can we take our game to world-class?  How can we reach our full potential?

From my own experiences as a jazz musician, entrepreneur, author, venture capitalist, speaker and father, along with personal interviews I conducted with over 200 thought-leaders around the world, here are 31 simple suggestions to help you reach your next level of greatness:

1. Energize others
2. Tell it like it is
3. Commit to lifelong learning
4. Be interested instead of interesting
5. Race toward your fears instead of running from them
6. Be more curious
7. Extend trust freely, and earn it in return
8. Pursue passion, not money
9. Talk less, listen more
10. Stand for something big
11. Courageously challenge conventional wisdom
12. Fail fast, learn, move on
13. Be obsessed with finding a better way
14. Skip buzzwords and communicate with extreme clarity
15. Keep your promises
16. Never stand still.  Remember, deer in headlights die.
17. Never apologize for your dreams
18. Triple your rate of laughter
19. When you get knocked down, keep getting back up
20. Be more grateful – even for the little stuff
21. Stop pointing fingers or casting blame
22. Don’t sweat the small stuff
23. Look within instead of lashing out
24. Leave it better than you found it
25. Build your reputation with actions, not words
26. When opportunity appears, seize it
27. Take more responsible risks
28. Reinvent yourself regularly
29. Spend time imagining what’s possible
30. Never lose sight of the purpose behind your efforts
31. Make the biggest possible impact and the rest will take care of itself

Our lives come down to a series of choices.  We can choose mediocrity or greatness.  We can follow our imagination or just follow the rules.  We can reach or regret.

Your full potential is waiting for you just around the corner.  Seize it.