As I watched the Olympics a few summers ago, I couldn’t help but be inspired by the many amazing stories behind some of the athletes. Seems like medal winners and non-medal winners alike were all made of something special. What is this “je ne sais quoi” that this amazing group of individuals share? You could say that they all have a unique athletic ability, and this would be true. However, ability alone is often not enough.
Ability gets you started, but it seems that focus, drive and hard work get you medals. Your mental attitude and mental toughness get you through all the long hours of training. Your drive for success and personal improvement get you up at ridiculous hours of the morning when the pool is free or it is cool enough to train. It seems to me that there is something very special about the work ethic and dedication of Olympic athletes. I often think this starts with a love of sport and at some point turns into a focus on success (hopefully not at the expense of the love of the sport). This laser focus turns into a powerful drive that can move mountains.
We all have this capability within us. We all have the potential for greatness. Some of us lack the perspective that allows us to see this… we may lack the vision to see our true goal in life… Or we may lack the self-confidence that allows us to dream big… This is where it is helpful to be an athlete who benefits from the support of a coach. A coach can help with workout routines and physical skills, but can also help to provide perspective, help set goals and build self-confidence. As is often the case, we see coaches as being vital to the success of athletes, but are not always as ready to accept them in other areas of life. I sometimes still find some type of stigma attached to executive coaching, which is a bit of a shame.
Coaching is simply a way of supporting an individual as they strive to reach their full potential, be it in the area of sport, business, life, or personal relationships. It is all about making life the kind of meritocracy that sport is. In sport it does not matter to the clock who your father or mother are. It doesn’t matter how much money you have spent on special gear over the past year. It matters how you perform on that given day – which generally has a direct correlation to how hard you have trained and planned for the competition. I love sport because of this. Because hard work seems to pay off. Because if you have talent and work hard, with the right support, you can achieve unbelievable results. Because money can’t buy a gold medal. But also because athletes accept help along the way. They receive coaching, they get and follow advice. They set goals and plan how to achieve them with a trusted advisor. I love this piece of collaboration in what can sometimes be seen as an individual victory.
So to those of you who have never had a coach, I invite you to open your mind to the possibilities. A coach can help you define who you want to be in this life or in this situation. They can help you identify your next key goals and plan how to achieve them. They can provide perspective and that piece of collaboration you might need to give that little bit of extra effort you will need to achieve your true potential. In the end, I believe that with hard work, dedication and maybe a little help, we can all get to the finish line.
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