Goal Setting Article: Five Secrets to
Creating a “Goal” Medal Life – Part II
By Ed Sykes
Recently, Joy and I had the pleasure of speaking at a conference of Educational
Office Professionals in Baltimore, MD. The other speakers included Ms. Deborah
Phelps, mother of six-time gold medalist in the
2004 Summer Olympics swimmer Michael Phelps, and Agatha von Trapp, the 91-year-old
daughter of Captain and Maria von Trapp, the family on
which the movie “Sound of Music” was based. To say the least, there
were a variety of subjects discussed that day.
As I
listened to Ms. Phelps describe Michael’s
achievements, I realized that his story
had many of the secrets of success mentioned in my September article,
Five Secrets to Creating a ‘Goal’ Medal Life.
Let’s
go over these goal setting five secrets again and see how you can apply them:
1.
Create Passion with Goal Setting
Ms.
Phelps mentioned that Michael, after competing in the 2000 Summer Olympics, was
excited about the experience. Michael told her he wanted to compete again in
the 2004 Summer Olympics. He had that burning desire to compete and win. So
they sat down, developed goals, and mapped out a detailed plan for his success.
What do you have passion about in your career, your life? Have you put pen to
paper and developed goals to achieve what you want in life?
2.
Believe in
Greatness
Once
Michael had competed in the 2000 Summer
Olympics and held his own, he now believed he could win the swimming events in
the 2004 Summer Olympics; not only win, but
shatter world records. He visualized standing on the center stand with the gold
medal around his neck. He visualized what winning the gold medals would look
like, how it would feel, etc.
Have you visualized your
“goal” medal life?
3.
Create a
Mastermind Group
Ms.
Phelps said that once Michael set his goal, she (a
single parent), his older sisters, Michael, and his long time swim coach,
Bob Bowman, came together to develop a cohesive team for success. This was
Michael’s mastermind group. This group
was devoted to removing barriers and helping
Michael achieve his dream. Bob Bowman provided the technical expertise;
and Ms. Phelps and his sisters provided
the financial, emotional, and family support to keep Michael focused on his
goals. They kept him focused on his goals while removing any distractions.
Who
is your mastermind group?
4.
Embrace
Challenges
Michael’s challenges began before his first Olympics. He was a son of divorced
parents. Yet, he never used that as an excuse. After the 2000 Summer Olympics,
his challenge was how do I become a gold medal athlete?
He took a hard look at himself and received feedback from his mastermind
group concerning how to make his weaknesses his strengths,
and how to make his strengths the best in the world. He attacked those
weaknesses with gusto everyday in practice.
When was the last time you asked the question,
“How can I improve my skills to become the best?”
5.
Never Give Up!
Ms.
Phelps joked with the audience that as a mother,
Michael’s style of swimming made her crazy. You see, Michael, is a “comeback”
swimmer. In most cases, he is behind in his
races. Then at the last moment, with a burst
of energy and an
iron-willed
belief he will win, he comes from behind to win the race. He believes that he
can win every race as long as he is in the pool. He never gives up on his
belief that he
can win.
Do
you believe that you can win every race?
As
Ms. Phelps left the
ballroom, we embraced;
and she wished me the best. As she walked out the door,
I thought that the Phelps family is truly living a “goal” medal life…and you can
too.
Start today. Apply these goal setting tips and you too can have a
“goal” medal life!
Suggested reading:
Adversity: Your Seed of
Greatness (Three Secrets to Using
Adversity to Become Great)
Connect the Dots! Your Roadmap for Success
Every Super Hero Needs Theme Music. What’s Yours?
Five Secrets to Creating a
"Goal" Medal Life
The
Greatest Gift of All - The Gift of Empowerment
10
Action Steps to Motivate Yourself to Great Accomplishments
Ten Techniques for
Motivating Others Through Chaos
Have You Appreciated Someone Today?
Goal Setting Secrets to Jumpstart Your Life
Take Time to Create a Life Balance Sheet for Success
It’s the Most Wonderful
Gift of the Year
Five Ways to Reduce
Environmental Stress (Part Two)
Set Yourself
Stress-Free
Set Yourself Free
Five Ways to Reduce
Environmental Stress (Part One)
Want to learn create
goals to achieve more career and life success? Our
Mastering Your Attitude for Positive Results,
Team Building,
Life After Downsizing,
Time Management Techniques for Success, and
How to
Give Powerful Presentations
programs can help you achieve more success in life. Call us at 757-427-7032 or e-mail
us at info@thesykesgrp.com.
Ed Sykes is a
professional speaker published in the areas of leadership, change management,
customer service and teamwork. He works with business and government
organizations who want to reach the next level of success and individuals who
want to perform at their best. You can email him at esykes@thesykesgrp.com,
call him at (757) 427-7032 or visit his Web site at
www.thesykesgrp.com.
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