TACKLE YOUR GOALS LIKE AN OLYMPIAN

It's the Summer Olympics! It has been such an exciting Olympics so far and I always get so motivated when I watch the athletes. The Olympics symbolize accomplishment of goals and we can use their tactics to tackle whatever we want to do in our lives. 

We all have our personal Olympics. Our race could be figurative or literal, but it represents something we are working towards. And what better way to learn than to analyze the patterns of some of the very best goal setters?!

So how do you approach your personal and professional dreams? We all have a version of success - graduating pharmacy school, becoming a manager or director, getting published, running a half marathon, writing a book, getting healthy, etc.... We only see the end result at the Olympics so it's easy to glaze over the sacrifice that it took to get there. Success is not going to happen overnight, but with persistence, you can accomplish your goals.

How can you attack your goals with the fervor of an Olympian racing for the gold medal?

It starts with a plan
If you are too busy to sit down for an hour and plan out how you'll accomplish your dream, then you need to reassess how serious you are.
For example, there are hundreds of training plans online for running a 5k. Pick one that fits your goal, stick to it, and go run your race. Not all of our goals have perfect little blueprints, but through research, mentors, and intuition, we can figure out how to approach our dreams.

Stay consistent
Do athletes feel like sleeping in? Every day, but their drive and ambition is bigger than their desire to sleep. Small changes everyday are what it takes to be successful. Commit daily to exercising, eating clean, being positive, studying, etc... and you will reach your goal.

Fuel your body
You can't eat hamburgers and Cheetos everyday and expect to be in top physical shape. Fuel your body both physically and mentally. Eat healthy food, exercise, rest, meditate, socialize, etc....

Find a good coach
Elite athletes surround themselves with a supportive network. They have good coaches, teammbers, and usually family and friends that encourage their dreams.

So what happens when you fall off the balance beam?
".....I've failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

You get back up
Do the gymnasts lie on the floor, kick their legs and say "I can't do it!"? No - they get back up and continue their routine. What if they fall AGAIN? They get back up. So should you.

You train harder
Use your setbacks as motivation to fuel your performance. A little friendly competition never hurts either - maybe you are trying to be valedictorian, win a race, get your assignment in on time....surrounding yourself with people who are succeeding will inspire you to work harder too.

You reassess your approach
Maybe something you are doing isn't working or you need an extra push to get your project from good to grades. Do some reaearch and see what other successful people are doing in your field. Do they use a technique that you don't? Do they put in more hours than you do?

You do it again
We fall and then we get back up. So you had a bad presentation - do you stop public speaking altogether? No (though sometimes we would like to!). Practice makes perfect. You practice and prepare a little more and then do it again....and again.




Photo source: BBC News

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