Do you have your eye on medal-worthy success? Do you want to live life at the next level?
The Summer Olympics are coming to a close and it’s been a fun ride for sure. I want to take this moment and highlight something that we sometimes need to be reminded of – we all have an inner champion. Sometimes it’s hard to find, but hopefully today’s podcast will be something you can listen to whenever you need a little motivation or a reminder of your inner champion.
My absolute favorite sport in the Summer Olympics is gymnastics, track and field is a close second. This year the women’s team brought it!! Simone Biles has been a shining star down in Rio, winning 3 golds and becoming perhaps the most decorated women’s gymnast of all-time.
Life has not always been easy for her though—when she was young her biological mother struggled with major drug and alcohol abuse, and Simone was taken into foster care. She later was adopted, and has since put in a lot of hard work to get where she is today.
Simone said, “I wonder what my life would be like if none of this happened. I want to know why my mother did what she did. But those aren’t questions for me because that was her lifestyle when I wasn’t even born. I have everything I need so there are no blanks left unfilled.” Pretty amazing wisdom from such a young lady.
We live on a planet where bad stuff happens so each of us will face some hardship. Don’t let bad things take you away from your goals. You will either let it drag you down or you will come out with gold like Simone Biles.
All great athletes know that they can’t achieve success alone. They need to be motivated, they need a team to support them and oftentimes the most powerful inspiration comes from their right-hand man/woman — their coach. A coach is an essential part of training on and off the field. A coach helps you focus, set goals, hold you accountable and keep you going when you want to quit.
I’m personally right in the middle of a 10 Day Reset. It’s not about a fast or a diet. It’s about nutritional rebalancing. I’m doing this with a small group of 15. 4 of the 10 days are like fast days, only liquid nutrition. So, I need this group to keep me on track and motivated. I’ve done cleanses before, but this is different. It’s a true reset for my body.
I decided to do this because I’ve taken on a new challenge that I will complete on my 50th birthday in November. Between now and then I have a coach, a plan, goals and I’m not only accountable to them, but to myself.
Being a runner, I’m not one who enjoys running in groups. Running for me is my time. It’s time for me to get out of my head and be free, so chatting it up with others isn’t enjoyable for me during a run. Having a plan and others to be accountable to keeps me on track even though my main training is done on my own.
Finding your inner champion sometimes requires you getting support and accountability from others. Like Simone, your champion needs its cheer squad. And like Simone, it requires dedication and discipline. Here’s a great quote from Dan Gable, retired Olympic wrestler and coach - “Gold metals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”
Do you have your eye on medal-worthy success? Do you want to live life at the next level? Here are 5 qualities Olympic athletes look for in a great coach. If you are looking for your own breakthrough, keep these in mind as you seek out your own mentor and support system.
1) GOAL-ORIENTATED
A coach knows short-term goals are just as important as long-term ones. If you only know what your long goals are, they can help develop a strategy composed of short-term goals that will help you. A coach can help you develop your goals but more importantly, motivate you to stay focused and take the steps necessary for you to reach your goals.
2) MOTIVATION
Who is going to motivate you when you can’t motivate yourself? Olympic athletes know better than anyone that the path to success is not always easy. Often, the easy choice is giving up. When you feel like giving up, your coach is there to instill confidence and pick you back up.
3) HONEST
If you truly want to see success, you need a coach who won’t sugar coat things for you. The tough conversations are often the ones that lead to the most change. A coach who will always be honest with you is critical to improvement and setting realistic goals.
4) COMMUNICATION
A coach can’t do their job properly if you aren’t able to communicate with them. Having a coach who asks questions, gives feedback and checks in on your progress is critical to your success. Effective communication guarantees that the approach your coach takes with you is unique to your strengths and weaknesses, which allows for greater improvement.
5) PREPARATION
If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. A great coach will make sure you are properly prepared in order to meet your goals. They take your goals and implement a plan that will guide you to success.
I hope you have found these tools helpful and you will find a way to implement them into your daily life and in finding the best coach and or mentor for you. I’ll close with these thoughts. Your Inner Champion requires your commitment to you. From one of my favorite Kentucky coaches, Mr. Pat Riley, he says – “There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in or you’re out. There is no such thing as life-in-between.”
To Live Excellence you have to find your inner champion. Make the commitment, find your support and go get your gold!
Thank you for joining me today and until next time – LIVE Excellence!