Professional athletes fascinate me. When I was in the midst of my running glory, I followed the careers of various accomplished runners. I learned more than just how to be a better runner. I learned how I could apply the same principles to my life to get to the next level in anything I was doing. There are three strategies I’d like to share that helped me to get better and I believe they have application for anyone and everyone.
1. Visualize. Studies show that when you visualize success, you are more likely to achieve success. Your brain thinks you have already experienced the success because of the images you’ve placed there. Many athletes practice visualizing their success prior to performing. The ones that do have a greater success rate than those that don’t. In one of my all-time favorite books, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, there is a chapter where visualization ultimately predicted life or death, depending on the thought. Three men were stranded on a life raft in the middle of the ocean for several days. Two men visualized their lives once they were rescued. The other man could only visualize death. Ultimately, the two who envisioned a future lived, while the other man did die. Pretty powerful.
2. Prepare your thoughts in advance. When preparing for my marathon, several articles I read advised having a “mantra.” The “mantra” was what you planned to say to yourself repeatedly when you reached the point in the race where you are unable to think. This occurred around mile 21 of my 26.2 mile race. I went into autopilot and while my feet pounded away at the pavement, I continued reciting my predetermined words. I knew that moment in the race would come, and so I prepared for it. The same is true in life. There will be challenging times. Mental preparation can make all the difference as to whether you will progress through those times successfully.
3. Hire a coach. Any professional athlete will tell you, a coach will take you farther faster. I spent years piddling around with my running. I read books, magazines, talked with other marathoners. But it wasn’t until I hired a professional to help me with my specific needs that I made real progress. I will admit, I didn’t run off and hire someone to help me right away. I did it after I found out, I couldn’t really get to the next level by myself. I am far better today than I would have been because of what I learned during that time of working with a professional.
It doesn’t matter exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Whether you want to run a marathon, get a promotion at work or be a great parent, you will definitely benefit from applying these three principles. I guarantee it. How can you implement these strategies today?