Source: By Ben Kissam https://www.fearlessmotivation.com/2017/08/09/5-lessons-learned-in-sports-that-will-help-you-achieve-more/
5 Lessons Learned In SPORTS That You Can Apply In LIFE To Help You Achieve More
As kids, we were told that playing sports would teach us lessons about life. Though it may have been some time since you’ve played competitive sports, that remains true.
Have you ever thought about all that you’ve learned from playing sports? No matter what your current goal in life is, you can apply the lessons you acquired from the time you spent in athletics to achieving more now.
Here are 5 things learned on the field, gym, or court that can be applied directly to your life. Take a moment to think of your current goal and look at it through these 5 lessons.
“Championships” are won early in the season, during the practices no one ever sees.
The most grueling practices of the year usually happened in the first two weeks. Most of the team wasn’t in shape. Weather conditions were either way too hot or way too cold. No one watches practice because the first game isn’t for weeks- it’s just you, your teammates and the grind.
But at the end of the season, the hard work that no one ever saw was what mattered the most. The very first reps, grueling sprints, and conversations about how the team would be successful laid the foundation for actually finding success.
The transformation takes more time and energy than you’ll ever think it should, but it never happens without laying down the foundation first. Life’s “championships”, or pinnacle moments where you finally achieve the thing you’ve been striving for, work the same way.
Mastering the fundamentals is the key to winning.
Which area(s) of life are you trying to excel in? Do you want to improve your health, increase your wealth, or grow in some other way?
Whichever arena you’ve chosen to improve in, the fundamentals are the things we often overlook. We lose focus on the fundamentals when we seek out the “secret edge” or “ultimate program” to achieve our goals.
The truth is, if you committed to the fundamentals and executed every day, you’ll reach your goals a lot faster than you will if you regularly change your routine.
Examples: lift heavyweights. Eat clean food 90% of the time. Save 10% of every dollar you make. Tell people you love them.
John Wooden is famous for showing his athletes how to put on their socks on day 1 of practice. He believed that mastering the fundamentals was the key to success. You should, too.
You need to trust and believe in the people around you to be successful.
It’s easy to fall into the trap where you believe that you don’t need anyone else to be successful. That’s what happens when ego takes over.
You can be driven to succeed. It’s okay to have a chip on your shoulder. But you can’t do it alone- treat your family, loved ones, and colleagues the way you’d like to be treated. Bring them up and lead them, if possible. Live and die with the “teammates” you’ve been given in life- they can be your greatest asset.
Not only will the people in their life benefit from having a teammate like you in their corner, but they will be inclined to return the favor- a win-win for all parties involved.
Consistent effort is more important than talent.
The old adage, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” applies in more than just sports.
Where are you at with your family, job, or personal goals? Do you want to achieve more in a particular area of your life? Assess where you are at currently, even if it’s ugly. Make a game plan for how you’ll grow by 1% each day in that area. Consistency is the mother of all grand achievement. As the days go by and the small investments in yourself compound, you will eventually arrive at a moment where you realized you’ve changed completely.
It doesn’t matter how talented or capable you are right now- only how willing you are to take the steps necessary to grow.
“Success” can’t always be measured by the numbers on the scoreboard.
There will be times in life where, no matter what you do, things won’t go your way. It’s like playing the greatest game of your life and still ending up with a loss at the end. Maybe the weather was poor or a teammate slipped up and cost you the game.
Regardless, you gave it everything you had and it still wasn’t enough.
In life and sport, there will only ever be so many variables you have control over. Obsess over your daily performance on those little things, like your attitude, work ethic, and the fundamentals of the endeavor you’d like to succeed in.
You won’t always win, but you’ll set yourself up to win far more frequently by focusing on the things you can control. While others spend precious time and energy obsessing over things they cannot change, you will be developing yourself as a human being.
Sports are a great reminder of how achieving success can be simple, but never easy. The keys to winning in sport and life are hard work, consistency, and making habitual investments in yourself and those closest to you.
There is no lesson above that can’t be implemented right away, so that’s my challenge to you. What championship moment are you chasing after? Let your experience in sport help guide you to the top of that mountain.