Positive Energy Tip
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 Be A Winner
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games are in full swing. In addition to celebrating remarkable athletic achievements on snow and ice, the games give us an opportunity to hear inspiring stories of athletes who went on to win medals even with the odds against them.
Take Apolo Anton Ohno for example, who overcame a slip on the ice that dropped him to last place before rallying to earn his record seventh Olympic medal. Or Lindsey Vonn who was able to work through her shin injury and get past a fall during the slalom portion of the Ladies' combined event, to go on to win an Olympic Bronze in the ladies Super G.
Thinking about how Olympic athletes overcome challenges and go on to win when many others would have given up, I've concluded that they all possess three qualities (the three Rs) that anyone can use to achieve greater levels of performance in both life and business.
The first quality these athletes possess is their willingness to take risks. They are willing to move out of their comfort zone and push themselves to do more than they thought they could do. As T. S. Eliot says "only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."
Winners also have the ability to overcome resistance. I'm sure there were times when these medalists wanted to stay in a warm bed rather than go out in frigid temperatures to train. But they didn't because they know that the key to success with any goal is to withstand temptation and persist through discomfort.
And finally, these athletes are resilient. Hardships are inevitable, but winners have the ability to bounce back and even smile in the face of adversity. Apolo Ohno, speaking to reporters after his fall, said "I saw everybody flying by
me and I'm like, 'Oh boy, there's not a lot of time. I'm going to have to kind
of crank it up.' I had to basically dig deep and find extra speed, extra strength to be
able to pass those two Canadian skaters." That ability to bounce back rather than give up is what makes Apolo a winner!
Whatever your goal, you must be willing to take risks, overcome resistance, and be resilient (the three Rs) if you want to succeed.
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Energy Challenge
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Practice The Three Rs
Pick a goal that is important to you, but that you've not been able to achieve. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Where have I not been willing to step out of my comfort zone and take the necessary risk to succeed?
- When have I given in to temptation or have not been willing to persist through discomfort, which has gotten in the way of achieving my goal?
- What do I need to have in place to make sure I bounce back after a setback?
Being willing to take risks, work through resistance when it surfaces, and bounce back after a setback are tools that will help you become a true winner!
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