Bolder!

See Your Podium

Athletes use visualizations in order to perform at their peak. This isn’t a “woo-woo” thing or pop psychology. What your mind sees your body will attempt to do.

As a golfer I know how true this is. When my self-talk is “Don’t go in the water” I’m not surprised when I hear a splash. The reason this happens is because your subconscious doesn’t process negatives. It heard “Go in the water.” My focus was on the water, not on the green.

Keep your language positive and specific. Christine Nesbitt, a gold medalist in speed skating said “I picture myself on the podium, winning a gold medal.”

When you visualize your own podium moment include as much detail as possible as well as when you will achieve it. Use all five senses when creating this vision. Ask yourself ...

• What do I see around me?
• Who is here with me?
• What is the quality of the light?
• What can I hear?
• What scents are in the air?
• Is there a taste on my tongue at this moment?
• What am I wearing?
• What is the feel on my skin?
• Is my heart racing or am I perfectly calm?

Of course, the first and foundational question always is  - What do I feel in my heart in this moment? Connect to that feeling. That detail will never change.

I encourage you to spend some time this week to fashion this mental picture and nail it down. Commit it to memory so you can recall it in an instant. Use it. Share it. Speaking something out loud is one more way to make it real.

I'll close with one more quote from another  Olympian, Shawn White, the American snowboarder who said, “I didn’t come all this way to hold back.”

 

Give your vision everything you’ve got to bring it to life. It’s that important.

 

More Olympics

Here are a few more great things I learned from watching the Olympics that I want to share with you:

At the end of the men's cross country races, each skier approached the finish line holding nothing back. Mouths wide open, gasping for every ounce of oxygen with a grimace of concentration, they never let up. As I watched, not one skier stopped or even hesitated until AFTER he or she crossed the finish line, THEN they collapsed to the ground.

Their focus was beyond the goal and that focus carried them over it.

During the women's snowboarding final there were four racers coming down the track. Three of them were assured a medal position. Then one fell. When she got up she withdrew from the race, probably assuming she now had no chance. However, a few moments later a second boarder fell and I couldn't help wondering -- if that first woman had gotten up and kept going - would the bronze medal have been hers after all?

Keep moving even if you fall.You don't know what lies ahead that may work in your favour.

 

So how does this translate to your own life? Simply this -don't hold back anything. Give it your best and give it all.

 

"Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness...The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred." W.N. Murray

Break Out

Last spring, as our economy tanked, my coaching practice soon followed. As budgets tightened,  priorities shifted. I totally understood but over the course of just 4 weeks my practice almost disappeared until one afternoon I found myself with no foreseeable income and wondering what to do next.

I considered going back to corporate work but dismissed the idea almost as soon as it flitted through my brain. I know from experience how hard it is to get out of those golden handcuffs and the culture of Big Business was not one I wanted to support again. The nightly news of lost jobs, vanishing pensions and shattered lives convinced me of that.

I then thought seriously about working at the local coffee shop until the economic storm blew over. I knew I could leave that behind easily enough when my practice got busy again.

But when you KNOW you are doing what you're supposed to be doing (coaching in my case) how do you just stop? I absolutely knew coaching was what I was meant to be up to. I just needed to find someone to coach again.

I had to get my thinking out of that proverbial box and try something completely different.

First I got clear on WHO I wanted to BE - which is a "Support for people building their personal version of a successful life".

Next I visualized finding a way to do this without charging and still earn a living. (My husband, bless his heart, simply said was "Good luck with that.")

Two weeks later I found my answer in the most unexpected place.

With a clear intention (and such a crazy notion) my radar was on high alert looking for a solution. So when an opportunity appeared I didn't dismiss it out of hand as I might have done in the past. Instead I took time to explore it and educate myself. After all, how can you intelligently say no to something if you don't have the facts?

I found exactly what I'd imagined - a way to make a difference using my skills as a coach and mentor as I earned an income that didn't have to come from my clients. Six months later and I still have to pinch myself to believe it.

As the economy recovers, my "normal" coaching practice is picking up again, for which I'm grateful. And now I have a whole new revenue stream in my business which I'm also grateful for. I'm proud of what I'm building and the difference it's making in people's lives.

On top of all that, I find myself living boldly again. I've finally got time for what feeds my spirit. I'm writing, painting and sculpting again. More on that to come.

WHAT I KNOW...

I first had to get clear on how I wanted to Be and then I had to let go of how it should look. If I'd been tied to my old ideas and ways of doing things I might have kept the door closed when opportunity dropped in.

So ask yourself this - "Who do I want to be?"

Then find your way to be that in the world.

Peak of Success

My daughter was once fascinated by all things Everest so we watched a lot of movies and read a lot of books. We can learn a lot from experienced mountain climbers.

For instance, I learned that those who summit Mt. Everest do it in stages. Just getting to Base Camp is a big deal. From there they move on to other camps at gradually higher altitudes. The purpose is acclimate to the thinner oxygen at each camp before climbing higher. They wait for their body to catch up to their ambition.

Work hard, yes, but take some time to acclimate. Don't rush the process and don't de-value the quiet moments. They provide the fuel to carry you to your dreams.

Another thing I learned about Everest climbers is that not everyone who goes to Base Camp defines success in the same way. Many people go along as the support system. Their goal isn't to reach the summit but to make sure the climbers get up and back safely. They succeed only when everyone is back off the mountain and the party begins.

Appreciate your support team in your own climb. Not only will they help you up the mountain, but they'll make sure you get back in one piece! And it's not as much fun celebrating without someone to share the moment.

From Everest I also learned it's all about where you put your focus. I attended a lecture by a young man who had summitted and the picture he showed of crossing an aluminum ladder over a crevasse with spiked boots made me shudder! When I asked how he did it, he said it all depended on where you focused. Looking past your feet was to invite paralyzing fear. See only your feet and you can ignore the gaping maw of ice below you. (Well, he could. I don't know if I could!)

Choose your challenges, define success for yourself and climb on. Let go of your excuses and focus on what you know to be true. Then celebrate.

It's a great recipe for success.