So the Games of the XXX1 Olympiad kick off in Rio de Janeiro today. For some people on planet earth this is no big deal, however for the 10,200+ athletes, their coaches, families and friends, it is both an opportunity and reward for a lot of work, sacrifice and discipline.

Having had the experience of being involved in a few Olympics myself and also working with many athletes and coaches across numerous sports from the past nine Olympic Games, I thought I would share with you a few of my learning’s.

However, before we do, there is an important understanding in all of this, and that is although these insights are from the world of sport, they are more than capable of being transferred from the sporting arena into many aspects of everyday life. They are insights that athletes and coaches use each and everyday, but their use should not be restricted to the domain of competitive sport.

Read on and as you do look at how these five points can help you in your pursuits of everyday life.

1. Your levels of success will be a reflection of your levels of preparation
When it comes time to stand in front of the world and show it what you have to offer, there will be one of two emotions flowing through your body.

a. Excitement
b. Fear

The excitement comes from knowing you have done your due diligence, you are master of your craft. You have worked your tail off over the past 4 years and you are now both ready and excited to allow what you have done to be unleashed and as you do the world can witness what you are truly capable of.

Fear on the other hand can come about for many reasons, but at this one moment in time it will most probably come from a degree of doubt. This particular doubt comes about when you start to think through what you haven’t done or what hasn’t been done well over the past 4 years and how that will impact your result.

If you know you have done the work, and in the way it should have been done then that fear might not be removed but it will be significantly reduced.

These Olympics, as has every other one before them, will continue to show that whatever you left to chance in your preparation will be exposed. And more than likely exposed at the time you can least afford it.

2. Know your outcomes but focus on the process
Everyone comes to the Olympics with a result in mind. For some it is the opportunity to see how you stack up against the rest of the world and hopefully achieve your personal best result.

Where as for others, it is all and only about a Gold Medal.

For the experienced and the competitively savvy, they know the outcomes they want. However they also understand and live by the importance of the process to deliver. The things that have done up to this point have been critical, but now is the time to allow all that training, sacrifice and commitment to come together in a certain way, order and time (most commonly referred to as a game plan or race strategy) and deliver the desired result.

3. Review your performances daily
As a coach my simple rule of approach is… “Get the best out of yourself today and then tomorrow be better than what you were yesterday”. For this to happen, you need to have a mirror that works. You need to be able to see yourself and your daily performances the way they really are.

Understand, learn and move on. Don’t get caught in the paralysis by analysis scenario. But do know what has happened and why.

“Everything is important and nothing just happens!”

Take responsibility for all and keep moving with the understanding that your rate of improvement has to be greater than that of the opposition or competition. Because if it isn’t, you can still be improving but in real terms, your progress against the opposition is going backwards.

4. Motivate internally but know discipline is more important
Confidence comes from demonstrated ability. What you have done over the past four years (and in many cases a lot longer) has to allow you to get to the starting line with a high degree of confidence. The understanding of what you achieved during your preparation, should then allow you a belief and confidence toward your game plan and in your ability to successfully execute it.

That confidence will come from the commitment and the discipline that you have shown in your preparation. Not everything that you are required to do will be motivating, no matter what spin you put on it. Therefore, a huge part of your confidence and result will be dependent upon the discipline you have shown by doing the things you know you had to do.

5. Don’t over rely on any one area for your success
Everyone at the Olympics is talented. So don’t fall into the trap of thinking talent will be your X factor. Physical, Technical and Psychological are all areas that need to be trained and finely honed in a way that creates an athlete that is second to none.

However, if that proves not to be the case, you will have the solace of knowing you have done everything you could, in every area to ensure that you will be and are the best that you could be.

And with that understanding…

The Journey Continues!