Olympic hopefuls don't get to the games on accident. Ride their wave of success with these four lessons:
1) “Discipline is remembering what you want” – David Campbell
Remember what you want: Too many times we talk ourselves out of things or allow the lull of the day to day to pull us away from working diligently toward what we really want. Figure out what you really want and don’t let the negative or your own laziness bring you down. Staying focused is one of the hardest things we can do in our age of distraction, busy-ness, and technology.
2) “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” - Edith Wharton
Surround yourself with winners: If you find it hard to stay focused on the positive, do everything you can to find others who can support you and who will remind you daily of why you are doing the tedious work to reach your goal. There are so many new ways to get involved, try MeetUp.com, join a local team, get training with a class, or find a buddy or coach to work with you. Give yourself a pep talk, watch an inspiring movie, or read an I-can-do-it quote or book. Even if it means you have to find a whole new group of friends or spend a little less time with family, it is worth it in the long run.
3) “Whatever happens, take responsibility.” -Tony Robbins
Take responsibility for your success or failure: Life can throw you curveballs, and I won’t even mention all the lemons we can be dealt. Our circumstances won’t always align to give us the perfect scenario for success, but by taking responsibility for our lives will always put us back in the driver seat and give us perspective to keep going.
4) “Practice is the best of all instructors” -Publilius Syrus
Learn who you are by applying yourself. The repetition of practice proves our character, helps build resilience, and will give us competitive fierceness beyond any other life lessons. We learn who we really are when the going gets tough, and we choose to get back up again!
So, here's the four questions you must ask yourself to apply what the Olympic mindset to your own life:
- What do you want?
- Who can you surround yourself with that wants it too?
- What successes and failures do you need to take more responsibility for?
- How can you applying yourself more regularly to access your greater potential?
Remember, “Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them — a desire, a dream, a vision.” ~Muhammad Ali