Winners’ mentality

Every one of us has some things we want to achieve in life. From phenomenal to mundane, it is in us to want to accomplish tasks and feel important among our friends and family. Although for some reason, many have been paralyzed and do not have the faith, will and energy needed to complete their tasks, I do believe that anything can change and you can start again and realize your full potential in life.    

Sports and real life: a comparison

If I say I am a sports fan it probably is not news because these days there is hardly any man who has no interest in one sport or the other. Almost every man has one sport he is interested in and which he either participates in, supports or does both. If you know a man who is not passionate about at least one sport, you need to watch him closely, something might be wrong. As a matter of fact, ladies these days have also taken to sports even to the point that some ladies participate in Soccer, boxing, wrestling and I hear they also participate in body building and weight lifting. Isn’t that something!?

One sport that interests me very much, apart from Football (Soccer), is athletics (track and field). During my high school days I was one of the fastest sprinters in the school and I could have gone far doing that but for the fact that Football got the better of me. But during my days in track and fields, I learnt a lot from my Games Master (as we called our coach in those days) and I believe those instructions helped in forming my perspective and approach to life.

Here are some lessons I learned from my coach and my involvement in track and fields that I believe can help every one of us in our life race:

Stay fit

You cannot win in any race if you are not fit and you cannot be fit if you do not train towards it. Fitness does not happen overnight, it is a process and it takes consistence and discipline. Imagine what it will look like if there are 6 sprinters and the winner of the race is someone who is over weight and when we ask “how come?”  He responds “I had consulted my witch doctor and he gave me a special juju portion that made me fast”. Won’t that be something!? Do you think an unfit person can win a race with fit people? I know all things are possible but this has not happened yet and I do not believe it will happen soon. The challenge therefore is for everyone in this race to keep fit.

Some uninformed fellows may say “but the race is not given to the swift”. Nice quote! But that doesn’t in anyway suggest that the race is given to the unfit. Does it? It simple means that if God does not help you, your speed will not. The quote is not in the contest of fitness and only a lazy person will use that as an excuse. How about “the horse is prepared (trained, equipped, kept fit) against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord”? It is better to be fit, prepared and then ask the Lord to help you where you cannot help yourself.

Fitness requires you to be disciplined and consistent. If you want to win in life, discipline is not negotiable. Such discipline is not for one or a few days, you have to be consistently disciplined. I am not talking of an emotional activity you want to go into when something strange happens; I am talking about a disciplined lifestyle. You have to set rules/standards for yourself and live by them. What are the things you cannot do as you keep fit for your race?  What food weighs you down and what food enhances your performance? What relationship does not help your cause and who are the friends that help you become better? What habit do you need to form and which habit must you break? 

No one achieves and maintains success without consistent discipline. You wouldn’t wake up one day to discover that you suddenly won a race; wake up, you must be dreaming.

Start well

As the adage goes “the morning tells the day”. That is so true. It is very important that you start well. Start on a strong note. Give your beginning the best push you can muster. In a race you do not keep the best for the last; start off with your best and let the next level sort itself out.

Stay Focused

As a sprinter, as well as in life, you have to stay focused on your destination while not loosing sight of your track. There are other people also running to win and everyone has his own track. You run on your track and not on another person’s lane. What it means is that you cannot afford to meddle into other people’s businesses. These days many people are busybodies in “other men’s affairs” instead of focusing on their own goal. I know a young man who does not give a report about his progress or failure without prying into someone else’s matter. When you ask him about his result in school he replies “Jackson failed and I failed too”. You ask him “what is your plan for this year?” He replies “Shane is causing me problems”. Sometimes I wonder why some people are that way. How about you focus on your business and give it your best such that your result motivates other people around you to do likewise!? How about you give yourself to pursuit of your dreams and let your result challenge “Shane” to get up be an achiever too!?

Focus on yourself and on your race. Avoid things along your track that would not help you get your expected result. There are many good people, good clothes/shoes, good food, good places and many good drinks that are not suitable for you. They may be good for someone else, but they may not be good enough for you. All things may be lawful but not all of them are expedient. Many things may be legitimate but not all of them are practicable for you. You, therefore, have to focus only on things that are profitable and can help you reach your goal. Identify what suits you and stick with it. 

Finish strong

Is it just me or does anyone else enjoy watching the new sprinting sensation of our time? As a matter of fact he is the best sprinter of all time. This Jamaican born twenty Seven (27) years old Usain Bolt who weighs 210 pounds (94 kg) is considered the fastest person ever. He has won six (6) Olympic medals in sprinting, holds both 100 meters and 200 meters world records and an eight time world champion. Indeed he deserves to be the highest paid athlete in track and field

You probably know that he did not get to where he is by mistake; we agree that for him to set these world records and win these medals he must consistently train hard. But I mentioned him here because recently he admitted the obvious- that he is not a good starter. Those of us who watch him may have observed that sometimes his “take-off’ is poor, yet there is no doubt that he is a strong finisher. This teaches us that if for some reason we do not start well we can end strong and still win. He admits his weakness, works on it and still comes out victorious.

Lesson: If for any reason you have started poorly, admit it, work on yourself and you can still win. Though your beginning was poor, you can end up great.

This is “that” time

To achieve your dream, start now. Leave your past behind and go after your bright future. You may have failed or achieved negligible success in your past, get over it because what you have ahead of you is so great. Did your parents fail you? Did your lover hurt you? Have your friends disappointed you? Is there something in your past holding you down? Let it go. Let them go. Put the past behind and press towards the mark for the prize.

Don’t push to tomorrow what you can start today. Procrastination can kill you. Start eating healthy now. Start loosing that weight right now. Start writing that book now. Start filling that form immediately. Apply for that job now. Go back to school right away. Begin that business today. Invest that money now. Sow that seed now. Pray right now. Compose that song today. Whatsoever it is, get started right away.

Make that move right now baby!