WHAT THE OLYMPICS THAUGHT US;
O – Outlook. What is your outlook on life? I am sure Chad le Clos thought
it was nearly impossible to beat his hero Michael Phelps, yet that didn’t stop
him from trying and actually doing it. Oscar Pistorius made history at the
London 2012 Olympic Games by becoming the first double amputee to compete on
the track and make an Olympic final. Despite his disability and the many odds
stacked against him, Oscar's outlook has always been positive and
encouraging.
Is your outlook
in need of a spring cleaning? Get rid of the negative
thoughts that are holding you back and start being a possibility thinker. Have
an outlook that believes your dreams are possible.
L – Love. Olympic athletes know about sacrifice. They have to
sacrifice time away from family, sacrifice socializing, certain foods and many
other things to ensure that are 100% prepared for their race. But to them it’s
worth it, because they love what they do. They don’t mind getting up at early,
eating bird seed and going to bed while others are partying the night away,
because they love what they do for a living.
When you love what you do, it makes
any sacrifice worth it. Are you sacrificing for something you love? We spend
80% of our time at work - make sure your sacrifices are for something you love
or at the very least enjoy. If not find
your dream job today.
Y –You. Success starts and ends with you. Olympic athletes could
blame their coaches, the weather or their shoes, but if they want to win gold,
they need to acknowledge that they are responsible for their efforts, their
training, their eating and their results.
If you want success, you need to
take personal responsibility for the results you are currently achieving in all
areas of your life – your health, wealth, relationships etc. Taking
responsibility for your life is the starting block you need
to catapult you to Gold.
M – Motivation. Zig Ziglar once said, “Motivation doesn’t last but neither
does bathing. You have to do it every day.” I am sure young Chad le Clos didn’t
always feel like getting up at 5 am every day to swim for 2 hours before
school, but he found the motivation to do so, and it has paid off.
To be successful you need to find practical
ways to motivate yourself on a daily basis. Some of the
ways I motivate myself include listening to uplifting music, exercising
first thing in the morning to give me a boost of energy, and focusing on my
Vision Board.
Finally and possibly the most important form
of motivation is surrounding yourself with people who support and inspire you.
My highlight of the Olympics must be Chad
Le Clos’s dad. Chad was destined for success with this loveable man by his
side.
P – Plan. Success doesn’t happen by accident, it takes planning.
South Africa’s rowing team who won Gold, said their success was down to
planning. Their coach, Paul Jackson, commented that their position in the race
was according to a plan of having an even-paced race strategy.
Planning is vital when it comes to living your dreams.
Break your dream down into manageable steps and set goals for each milestone. Goals
are powerful to channel your focus and measure your
progress.
I – Innovate. If you keep on doing what you have always done, you will
always get what you have always got! Sometimes things don’t always go according
to plan. What do you? Do you give up? No, you try again.
However don’t do the same thing and
expect different results. Change your strategy, and be innovative in your
approach. Nike doesn’t sell the same pairs of sneakers it launched in the
seventies. It has advanced, developed and innovated to be one of the best.
Likewise we need to continually innovate if we want to succeed.
C – Commitment. Leadership guru John Maxwell said, “Success doesn’t happen
in a day, it happens daily.” Commit to making today successful, and do that
every day. Soon you will have a succession of successful days, which will
result in a successful life!
Success takes commitment in the face
of adversity
and failure. Commit to handle anything that comes your way,
commit to achieving your goal until you do.
S – Success deserves celebration. Too often we are just focused on
success that when we get there we forget to celebrate and rather focus on the
next event/ goal. You may not be rewarded with an Audi R8 Spider like Cameron
van den Burg, but find a way to physically acknowledge your success and the
sacrifice it took to get you there. Acknowledge those that supported you along
the way, and celebrate your victory in a big way.
Written by Jacqui
O’Bree (Fullife Coach www.fullife-coach.com)
Jacqui O’Bree is the owner of Fullife Coaching and a
qualified Life Coach. Her vision is to help people live with Purpose, Passion
and Possibility in both their personal and professional lives. Jacqui runs group
workshops and offers one-on-one coaching, with a special focus on career,
parenting, work/ life balance, and financial freedom. Jacqui is a regular
contributor to magazines and a popular speaker at events. She resides in
Fourways, Johannesburg. You can contact her on jacqui@fullife-coach.com or visit www.fullife-coach.com
