Last week the Olympics were on everyone’s minds and television screens. Despite the controversies over the games, the fact remains that these athletes are the best in the world. But they didn’t get there on their own.
In the past, I’ve talked about the importance of coaching and mentoring to help people reach the highest level of performance, in their business, personal life, relationships, etc. That fact is clearly demonstrated by top level athletes, but very few of us are top level athletes. Unless casual strolls in the park and eating chocolate covered almonds become an Olympic event; because then I’m going for the Gold!
So I want to talk about another aspect of what it takes to be the best. Desire.
Desire is a strong feeling of wanting to have ‘something’, it might be a person, a particular thing, an experience, or to achieve some goal. When a person desires something even the thought of the item or person can make them want to take actions to obtain their goal.
You can have the best coaches, mentors, advisers, advocates, etc., but if you don’t have the desire to do the work, you’re never going to reach that podium. Just waiting for ‘it’ to happen isn’t a sign of desire, it’s a sign of despair.
For many Olympic athletes, the desire to be the best at their sport started young. Michael Phelps, now the most decorated Olympian of all time (with a total of 25 medals), began swimming at the age of seven, encouraged by his sisters. His coach since age 11 often describes Michael’s dedication to the extremely demanding training as inspiring, and notes the ‘rigid focus’ he brings to his challenges. If you watched any of his events, you’ve seen that look on his face and you just know that he’s completely focused.
Prior to winning gold as an Olympic cyclist, Kristin Armstrong had been a junior Olympian in swimming. She cycled and ran track, becoming a triathlete before a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in both hips required her to focus exclusively on cycling as therapy. She took a break from the sport to raise a family, but her desire brought her back to cycling. She is now the most decorated female cyclist in U.S. history, having won gold medals in each of the last three Summer Olympics.
These people faced incredible opposition, competition, and challenges; including physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion at times. They are perhaps more extreme than those faced by people like me who are far from being Olympic athletes. But we all face some sort of opposition, competition, and challenge in our lives. The key to being the best is to push beyond them and focus on your desire.
Is your desire to create the perfect cupcake recipe, run a successful business, comfort an ailing friend or family member, learn some new skill, or simply get the laundry put away today? Different days have different challenges. The secret is to follow your desire and give it everything you’ve got. You might not get a medal for it, but you’re going to feel pretty dang good about yourself.