Are You Going For the Gold?
by Elizabeth Savino

For as long as I can remember, watching the Olympic Games has been a highlight for me. The excitement of watching these elite athletes compete with each other to see who could bring home the gold medal has always been a source of inspiration and motivation to me. Watching the strength and determination these athletes demonstrate as they use their minds to focus and their bodies to soar fuels me to want to do the same in my own life.

This year as I watched the Olympic athletes I began to wonder what road these individuals took to reach the privilege of representing their country as the best of the best. Surely the rested athletes in the peak of performance I was watching, dressed in their pristine uniforms, did not depict the road they traveled to reach a spot at the Olympic Games. I began to wonder what life was like for them as they traveled down their road to success and also what common characteristics these individuals possessed that helped them reach their goal to compete in the Olympics. I also began to ponder if I had those same traits and if I was using them to challenge myself to reach my own gold medal in my own life.

Jerry Lynch, author of The Way of the Champion, gives insight into the mindset of a champion. Lynch states, “I have been working over the last 30 years with hundreds of national and world-class champions and I can assure you that being a champion is NOT as farfetched as you might imagine. You see, a champion is never something you become . . . ever. It starts now by acting as a champion, committing yourself to practicing the habits and ways of a champion, choosing to engage in a lifestyle that demonstrates such qualities and characteristics on a consistent, daily basis… a hero's journey is an up and down, gain and loss odyssey of self-discovery as you become dedicated to exploring the unlimited boundaries of your full human potential in athletics and life.“

At any given moment, we all have the opportunity to act as a champion by deciding what our gold medal victory would be, and then devising a plan of action to achieve it. Like the Olympic athletes—despite age, income level, ethnic background, marital status or any other exterior factors—if one sets out to achieve a goal and creates a vision of achieving that goal, gold medals can be achieved by each of us.  This requires that, throughout our lives, we continue to stretch ourselves beyond what is comfortable into what is enhancing. With the Olympic athletes as our model, we can look at the behavior patterns for guidelines as to how to work towards our own gold medals in our lives.  Here are some suggestions to help you on your way:

1. Define what your gold medal is. What is your dream? 

2. Create a plan to follow. Before you do anything you must take some time to create a thought-out plan of action with specific action steps, measurable goals that can be assessed and measured in a timely way. The process of creating a plan may require you to invest some time but doing so will be well worth your time.  Once you have a detailed plan to follow, you will not have to think about what you need to do but rather can simply follow the plan you have created.

3. Enlist support people to help you. Identify who your support network is and explain to them what you need from them in order to support you in your journey. Enlist a professional for specialized support, as an additional coach to help you with motivation and accountability.

4. Keep company with likeminded individuals. Olympic athletes go to the Olympic training centers so they can be submerged in a world with others who share similar desires and are focused on their dreams. Seek out other people in your world who share your passions so you can be fueled by one another.

5. Be patient as you take one step at a time. Keep in mind that reaching an ultimate goal means working hard each day. Walk down the road toward your dream one step at a time.

6. Practice as much as you can. Create a schedule to be followed each day.  Fill it with the activities that will enhance your skills as you grow stronger in your journey.

7. Stay in it for the long haul through ups and downs. Be realistic in having an expectation that your road towards your goal will have natural ups and downs. Be prepared to ride the waves as you persevere towards your ultimate goal.

8. Use setbacks as an opportunity to learn, as opposed to a way to defeat you.  When a setback arises, ask yourself, “What went well? What could I improve upon as I move forward?”

9. Celebrate small victories along the way. Take time to validate your progress along the way. By recognizing small victories and affirming yourself, you will fuel a feeling of empowerment as you continue on your road towards your goal.

10. Let no one stand in the way of your dream. Protect the goals you create as sacred and yours alone, with the conviction that no one can interfere with bringing your goal to fruition.

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