Champion Strategies: How to Harness Olympic Inspiration
Believe In Yourself
Something that struck me while watching Josh Kerr from Scotland win silver in the men’s Olympic 1500m final, was his level of self-belief and confidence. Bordering on arrogance when interviewed beforehand I was left wondering why I perceived it that way and why don’t more people metaphorically (or not) ‘brag’ about their intentions and belief in what they can achieve.
Even if you don’t outwardly voice your self-belief, internally, unequivocally knowing that you can do what you set out to achieve in your business, raises your chances 100% that you can indeed do what you intend. You will always get people, sometimes friends and family who look at you like you’re mad. But are they the right people to seek an opinion from?
If you don’t believe you can do it, why should anyone else?
Run Your Own Race
For Kerr, in trying to keep up with his biggest rival he ran the fastest 1500m he’d ever run racking up a personal best and British record but ultimately they both lost out to American, Cole Hocker; who ran his own race and still had enough left in the tank from 30m out to beat them both to the line.
In comparing yourself to others and trying to emulate what they are doing you lose sight of what is important to you in your business and what your customers expect. You potentially take your eye off the ball, worrying and paying too much attention to everyone else, filling your head with self-doubt, instead of ploughing your focus into your customers and your business.
Preparation is Everything
Years of planning and preparation go into qualifying and competing to win a medal. Not just the physical, relentless training regimes but nutritional and mental health preparation too. They look after every aspect of their life to ensure they are at their peak when they need to be.
I’m not saying you have to be quite as focused but what planning and preparation do you do for yourself in your business? How do you plan for success? Not just the sales and growth in your business but your knowledge and skills as a business owner, including your personal growth, and physical and mental well-being too.
Never Give Up
Cole Hocker won the Gold because he didn’t give up, despite there being a World Champion and Olympic title holder in front of him. He went from fifth to first in the last 300m and beat his personal best by more than 3 seconds. He saw an opportunity and took it. Yared Nuguse of the USA also came from tenth to take the bronze.
The chances are if you’re feeling like a failure, or finding everything challenging, you’re exhausted, possibly overwhelmed and in need of a holiday. Or maybe just a day off. Recognise when you have these feelings and take time away from your business to replenish your energy. Do something you love, that makes you laugh or tops you up with good energy. Recognising when you need to step away for an afternoon is important and in no way is it giving up. All elite athletes have rest days and wind-down routines. You need to have the energy to take advantage of the opportunities when they arise.
Support and Motivation; Who is in Your Corner
One thing I’ve seen every athlete do when interviewed after their event is to say thank you to their support team. From their coaches to their teammates. Their training buddies and their sponsors. Their family, friends, supporters and the trackside crowd. They have a lot of people in their corner cheering them on.
Who do you have in your corner? Who do you turn to for support and what motivates you to continue? Don’t forget to ask for help and support from your network. If you feel you are lacking in an area start investigating how you can change that or come and join us in the Community… let us be your support network. Your team. Your coach. Your inspiration and motivation.