7 Performance-Boosting Skills We can Learn from Olympians
Another Winter Olympics have come and gone. This Olympics, we’ve seen Canadian athletes dominate in figure skating, ice dance, curling, various skiing events and more. These athletes have dedicated their whole lives to becoming the best in their chosen discipline. “These athletes have cultivated habits that are essential for reaching peak performance in sports — or really, any aspect of life.”
So, what do all these athletes have in common that allows them to excel?
Here are 7 habits to boost-performance that we can learn from Olympians, and apply in our own lives:
1) They’re comfortable with being uncomfortable:
In other words, persevere “the struggle to continue against a mounting desire to stop” and the decision to keep doing despite this feeling will help fuel your success.
2) They eat enough to fuel what they need to do:
Eating a balanced diet, with everything in moderation is a key to success. Food is fuel and we need it to be able to perform physically but also mentally.
3) They sleep well and then take a nap:
“Rest isn’t lazily slothing around; it’s an active process in which physical and psychological growth occurs,” Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness write in their recent book “Peak Performance.
4) Practice doesn’t make perfect, but deliberate practice does:
Practicing is important to develop any skill, but what will separate you from the average person is the deliberate focus and self-critique leading to improvement when learning a new skill. Only through deliberate practice will you become a master.
5) Find the thing that give you a (legal) edge:
To put it simply, play to your strengths and believe in yourself. “after all the training is done, there’s still a psychological edge that can make a difference.”
6) Know that you can do more than you think:
“Many experts think the limits on human performance aren’t physical as much as they are mental” Do not limit yourself. As the saying goes, “whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right”
7) The best athletes are self-motivated….and so are the best business people, entrepreneurs, technicians, etc.
Motivation is always going to be a struggle between external pressure and an internal motivation to achieve something. But cultivating that internal motivation is key for all of these habits. Find the passion within yourself and the desire to succeed to help you achieve your goals.
Who knew the Olympics could have taught us so many applicable skills!
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