Getting to the Gold … or Getting Through the Day?
If you’ve ever talked with me or read any of my blog posts, you’ve probably surmised that I’m a positive individual… It is in fact, a truth: I always try to “kill ‘em with kindness” and believe that having the “it” factor involves becoming the best version of yourself, personally and professionally.
As an avid “self-help” reader, I try to make the suggested habits and rituals I read about a part of my daily life, so much that they become second nature. Whenever I hear about a successful individual who has achieved great things, I google them and try to find out how they did it... What were their tactics and rituals? What makes them different (besides genetics)? Last week, after watching Simone and Phelps crush it in the Olympics, I decided that they were going to be my next research projects... I ended up learning that the habits of these Olympians were perfectly in sync with what I read about in the different books and articles on being successful. But what surprised me the most was realizing that it’s the simplest changes in your day that can make you stand out and start your journey to success.
Here are a few of them:
- GET YOUR SLEEP ON
Make sleep a priority, and make sure you get quality, restful shuteye. (I’m sure this is no surprise to anyone, but just wanted to remind you!). When you sleep better, you perform better. You’ll have more energy throughout your day, allowing your mind to think clearer and your body perform at its best ability. TIP: Set a bedtime that allows you at least 7-8 hours of sleep, in a dark cool room with no electronics disturbing you.
- FEED YOUR 'TEMPLE'
Your body is your temple, and should be treated as such. So focus on taking in nutrients and to never, ever, skip breakfast. I have always been told that breakfast is the most important meal, and is a healthy one ranks up there with a good night’s rest. The combination of the two fuels your body to start your day alert and ready for whatever the day is going to throw at you.
- VISUALIZE YOUR PLAN
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Visualize your goals and keep a record of your wins and losses. Olympic athletes are very aware of what their goal vertical, jump, or time is, and what they have to do to get there. They track their progression daily, while keeping that end goal in mind. This is no different from a musician, an accountant, teacher, CEO of a company, or executive recruiter. They all have an end goal in mind of what will make them successful and they make progress every day to get to those goals…. As the team at Hobson says, “Fail to plan, plan to fail”.
- BELIEVE YOU 'GOT THIS
Develop an unwavering self-confidence that will not allow you to get shaken up by the competition. The reason why our Olympians made it to Rio is because they believed they could. They knew that they were worthy and if they worked hard enough, they could get there. They understood that there is competition out there, but they won’t let it shake their performance. TIP: There will always be someone smarter, faster, and prettier than you, just make the best of what you got, and feel satisfied with that. That’s the beginning of every dream or goal- you have to believe you can achieve it, and in time you will.
- TAKE A BREAK
When you’re going for the Olympic Gold, a promotion, or a better test score, it’s easy to get caught up in how important it is to you to succeed. It has been proven that you will perform better if you give yourself a little rest and time to decompress. When you are working, training or studying, give yourself time to walk away. Feel guilty about taking break? TIP: Always try to give 110%, so when it’s time to rest you’ll know it was worth it.
So whether you want to be the next Olympian, or the next best version of yourself, follow these core principles and you will MORE than get through your workday!
-Emily