“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential, these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Confucius.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the Paris Olympic Games which concluded last night. There have been some stunning performances and some beautiful scenery on show at some of the outdoor events.

It has been inspiring to watch athletes who have trained and prepared so hard for a long period of time compete for a gold, silver or bronze medal. There were moments of sheer joy as well as heartbreak and disappointment for some. The full range of emotions were on display during the games and there were plenty of interesting stories about how people had got to where they are today.

It has been another great games for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We finished seventh in the medal tables with a total of 65 medals (14 gold, 22 silver and 29 bronze). The Gold medal win for Great Britain and Northern Ireland that I enjoyed watching the most was 19-year-old Toby Roberts. He won the boulder and lead event in speed climbing. Toby decided at age 12 that he wanted to take part in this event and devised a plan with his dad to achieve this goal. His dad actually erected a climbing wall in the family garden for Toby to practice on.

My wish is that these games inspire a new crop of youngsters to get involved and committed to a sport. There are many qualities and skills to be developed from involvement in individual or team sports and the life skills gained can be used in both personal and professional lives.

I believe that the Olympics provided some insights for us all about personal development, goal achievement and fulfilment of potential.

Here are a few thoughts on the subject: –

  • We are given countless examples of what’s possible with commitment, hard work, discipline and a determination to succeed.
  • Confidence and positive mindset have a big role to play in goal achievement.
  • The input of a coach helps maintain focus, develop performance and the commitment to being the best you can be.
  • To achieve anything, sometimes you need to be able to perform under pressure, be prepared to continuously improve and learn from setbacks and mistakes.
  • Anything is possible if you are doing what you love with passion. We do best what we enjoy and feel passionate about.
  • Olympians focus on the things that they can control (control the controllables) and look for and apply marginal gains to give them the edge over their competitors.
  • There are fine margins in performance and results. Winning and losing can come down to the fraction of a second or a few millimetres.
  • Don’t quit too soon, keep going until the end of the race. It isn’t over until the very end. Some people save their best performance until last and the medal can be won with the last throw, jump or in the final few metres or seconds of a race or contest.
  • Some of the best athletes have been tested by challenges to reveal hidden strengths and potential to them. This kind of test helps to teach people how to cope with and bounce back from disappointment and adversity. It helps develop mental toughness and resilience.
  • Whatever you do in life, do it with enthusiasm, passion and commitment. Set your sights high, apply yourself and go for it.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and think about what actions you can take to help achieve a goal that you have. If you haven’t taken any action yet towards achieving the goal, what will be your first step and when will you do this?

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk