All eyes have been on Rio for a few weeks now. Most people who are glued to the TV during the Olympics may not be avid sports fans. Yet we spend hours watching individuals and teams preforming their hearts out in front of millions of people worldwide -- it's exciting and at times quite addictive. So why do non-sport enthusiasts join the athletic community during the Olympic season with such fervor and delight?
The answer surfaced while I was watching a short documentary about Michael Phelps (aka "Flying Fish"), the American swimmer who is the most decorated Olympian ever, having won an incredible 28 medals throughout his career.
Towards the end of the clip, the sentence "it's what you do in the dark that puts you in the light" flowed into the scene, capturing the central message so relevant to any success story. See, the gravitational pull of the Olympic Games for many may have more to do with stories of development, grit, diligence, determination, resilience, and overcoming fears and much less with the different sports. Because we may never become a gold medal 100-meter runner, but we all know it takes sweat, blood and tears to fight for a worthwhile cause. We also know what victory tastes like, we're familiar with the bitter bite of loss and more importantly we know how challenging it is to rise again after feeling defeated and dejected.
So what are some important lessons we can learn about life from athletes? Here's a compilation of insights taken from psychological research, coaches, sport psychologists and athletes themselves. Ready? Set? Go.
- Preparation and practice are crucial
- Never stop learning new and better ways. Create them if you have to
- Follow the instructions and respect rules
- Face adversity and keep pushing forward
- Giving up isn't an option
- Confront your limiting beliefs
- You may not have had much control regarding how your story started but you can have more control on how it unfolds
- Develop a growth mindset
- Find your flow "a state where you are completely absorbed in an activity, triggering your optimal psychological experience as you feel strong, alert, in effortless control, unselfconscious, and at the peak of your abilities." Maslow, Csikszentmihalyi)
- Don't focus on winning or losing, embrace the effort and work required
- Anticipate challenges and have coping strategies prepared
- Surround yourself with equally passionate, driven and engaged people
- Be emotionally intelligent by effectively managing cognitive conditions when in high stress situations
- Understand the mind body connection and be conscious of the signs and signals being communicated
- Challenge the status quo and remember nothing is impossible if you haven't tried
- Broaden your boundaries
- Know the difference between passion and obsession
- Identify your natural biological and psychological skills to utilize your genetic advantage
- Be a "Comeback Commando"
- Don't set out to win, set out to do your best
- Develop optimistic realism
- Embrace the anxiety that comes with competing
- Cherish the challenge
- Know when to rest
- Be flexibly structured
- Learn from mistakes
- Develop laser sharp focus
- Accept judgment calls by those in position of power or authority instead of wasting time arguing or resisting
- Be accountable to whatever it is you set out to achieve
- Don't be influenced by non believers
- Genuinely celebrate the success and achievement of others
- Practice visualization by thinking about obstacles and victories
- Know how to tap into your reserve energy and strength just when you think you can no longer continue
- Strengthen your mental toughness muscle and practice "sisu" (a Finnish word meaning extraordinary determination, courage, and resoluteness in the face of extreme adversity)
- Take setbacks and turn them into stepping stones
- Have compassion and offer a helping hand -- you never know when you might need it
- Win without boasting and lose without blaming
- Loved ones are watching and they want to see you triumphant
- Jealousy and negativity by some is part of the process -- protect yourself by having a psychological barrier towards it
- Know when to collaborate and when to compete
- Neither joy nor sadness is permanent
- Know that skills are important but character takes you further
- Enjoy the journey
The Olympic Games are adventures of superheroes who inspire, giving us all hope about our dreams and purpose in life. Their endurance, accuracy and force set them apart into superhuman realms and that's probably another reason why they fascinate us. We vicariously live through them, crying and celebrating as they break records and conquer their greatest insecurities. For a few weeks, their stories become ours but should we choose, the lessons learned can stay with us for a lifetime.