The Winter Olympics are in full swing, and I, like many of you, have found myself captivated by the Games over the past several days.
It’s easy to lose sight of, especially when you’re caught up in the emotion and drama of competition, but what you’re seeing on television is only a brief snippet of these athletes’ lifelong pursuit of sporting immortality. You never witness the thousands of hours of training, the specially designed diets, the self-denial and the absolute determination to succeed against incredible odds that led them to that point.
While most of us will never devote ourselves in such a way to a single activity, watching these competitors and understanding the sacrifices they’ve made can serve as motivation in our own lives.
Identify Small and Attainable Goals
Maybe you want to start exercising more religiously or get into the habit of meditating each morning. Whatever it is, your success depends on identifying a target and creating a plan for how you’re going to hit it. No Olympian ever made it to the Games by accident. They knew what they wanted and they never lost sight of it, putting in the necessary effort to match their ambition.
And just as they were encouraged as they made incremental progress in their chosen sports, you too will find that motivation grows with results. Track and celebrate your successes, even the modest ones, and use that to combat guilt when you feel like you’ve gotten off track. There will always be someone or something waiting to derail you, some challenge or hurdle which you must overcome, but let those things stoke your competitive fire instead of discouraging you.
As you enjoy the events over the coming days, try and look at them through a different lens. Whether they earn a medal or not, every athlete there is a champion of perseverance, separated by the fact that they kept going when others quit. When it comes to caring for your mind and body, that’s a lesson worth remembering. And not just every four years.
