Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Alex Rodriguez; all have one thing in common, a champion mindset. When you look around, you see the athletes and fitness starts that you have looked up to for years and admire their tenacity, grit and perseverance. Not all have equal talents, but all possess the ability to think like a champion. Many believe that ‘where the mind goes, the body will follow’, which means if you have a goal, you need to believe in achieving it.
Setting goals is the first test for someone on whether they will succeed or fail. You need to remember that to finally achieve your dream, there are a lot of smaller goals along the way. Many people forget to set both short-term and long-term goals and feel that their dreams are unreachable after a short time. Short-term goals reinforce the success you have already achieved along your journey! These small ‘wins’ can reinforce the mindset of a champion, motivating you to push through during the difficult times.
Take for example, the long-term goal to lose 50 pounds. Did you wake up the next day and it already happened? Probably not. Now imagine setting smaller goals along the way, with a measurable time frame you want to achieve them. To get to the 50 pounds of weight loss, I want to lose an average of 2 pounds per week. The more often you achieve the small goal, the more committed and vigilant with your plan you will become. You will embrace the struggle, delight in the success and prove that in fact, you are a champion.
A professional athlete, or any individual in life, must practice specific skills that make them a well-rounded and successful person. All skills combined are what make them special and competitive. Every practice, every free-throw shot, every degree or professional certification; they all mark a new achievement in the journey.
When faced with adversity and struggles of not reaching your short term goals, do not take that as a sign of weakness. You must take a step back and evaluate if that short-term goal was truly the right one. Maybe something needed to change, maybe due to time it is better to focus on 1-1.5 pounds of weight loss per week, instead of 2. These adjustments are still helping you get to your overall goal of 50 pounds.
Life does tend to get in the way, but a winner makes time for the things they truly care about. If you cannot get to the gym after work, try going before work. Getting only 7 hours vs. 8 isn’t so bad once you start seeing the results of your hard work. Don’t be afraid to dream big, just stay focused on why you had that dream in the first place, that is your true motivation.
