How to Achieve Goals Like Athletes Do - Commonwealth Games 2018

So today we’re all going to be athletes, because last week it was a year to go to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast! And all of the athletes preparing to compete in the games will have 365 days to now narrow their focus to get ready to take on the Commonwealth. And look at how they can win gold silver and bronze and even their personal best. So I want you today as I talk to think about what you are preparing for – for a year. If you’ve got a goal that’s 365 days away how can you be like an athlete and prepare for it and make it happen?

So the athletes will be going through, we’d like to look at three areas – physical, mental and one that’s not often talked about – emotional. It’s a very important part of preparation for an athlete and I don’t think too many of them still today give it enough credit. The emotional side and the mental side. And Kerry and I when we competed in Sydney 17 years ago, we were ahead of our time. We were famous for the mindset; we were famous for what we call future pacing, which is living into the reality of an Olympic gold medallist two years before it actually happened. So we got a year here 365 days to the Commonwealth Games or thereabouts and so your goal, think about your goal and think about the physical, the emotional, the mental parts. So physically our athletes are going to train. Obviously in their chosen sport and also in the gym and get flexible and get strong and get skilful.

ACHIEVING GOALS –THE MENTAL SIDE

Now mentally it’s how because everyone’s doing that physical training. Every single athlete is doing that physical training. So how can they be one step ahead mentally? And that takes a lot of off-court training. It takes a lot of really digging deep; we’ve talked about the why before. But digging deep into your own personal being and conjuring up the intestinal fortitude and will and desire for your sport. And for your training and how can you be the best every single day at training and how can you improve one percent every single day.

And the question we used to ask ourselves was how do we make this better? And of course when you ask that question you have to go to work to find the answer! And sometimes you might not want to know the answer! So how do you make it better? We might have had, I personally had to lose a little bit of weight. I had to get fitter which meant that I needed new plans for my physical training. But that helps mentally too when you know you’re in the best shape and you leave no stone unturned.

ACHIEVING GOALS –THE EMOTIONAL SIDE1

Now the emotional side is really about you know how do you cope when things don’t go to plan? How do you cope when your volleyball partner or your business partner or one of your family members isn’t very nice to you? How do you cope when your opposition’s beating you up? And how do you build on your mind body and soul to make sure that you can stand there when things aren’t going to plan? And that really is it, what are you going to do when things aren’t going to plan? And it starts with a big deep breath; because then you think a little bit clearly and actually a lot of deep breaths. We’ve talked about meditation – start there.

Look for mentors; look for people that can help you through, that have been through it before. Look to be around a support team of family and friends that are going to help you feel good emotionally. And so whatever goal you’re working on for the 365 days, start to have a look at all of those areas and see if there’s anywhere you’re deficient. You might need to read some personal development books, you might need to go to a personal development course. We did firewalking, glass walking, arrow breaking. And those things may sound trivial, but I guarantee when you’re standing in front of 600 degree burning hot coals and you really don’t want to do it, and you think it’s impossible and then you do it anyway because you’ve been compelled and you stand on the other side and you go wow! If I thought that was impossible, what else in my life and my thinking is impossible that really isn’t?

So there is; so this topic I could talk for five hours. But I just want to give you a little taste as you sit down with your goal knowing that our Commonwealth Games athletes are 365 days out and have a think about your performance and what you’re up to and how you want to win in 365 days and go to work in some of those areas – physical mental and emotional. See you next week!