The mentality of athletes is often characterized by their capacity for self-demand, perseverance, tenacity and focus on goals. To become champions, they must learn to tolerate failure and concentrate on the next step. Athletes are self-confident, passionate about what they do, resilient and disciplined; their minds are constantly evolving and changing.
Sounds familiar? Just like athletes, successful executives can and should strengthen their mental strategies to get the results they want. In fact, many experts say they can do it the same way an athlete trains to achieve his or her goals. How? Here are some tips to keep in mind before the game:
Train for success: The business world is constantly evolving and changing. To stay current with our results, we need to be constantly updated, find coaches or mentors to guide us along the way and learn from our failures or setbacks. Having clear long-term objectives and the steps we will take to reach them is also fundamental. Without clear planning there won’t be a goal accomplished.
Internal dialogue: This is a practice that many athletes use in moments of weakness and usually has very good results. It consists of concise, conciliatory, flexible and realistic affirmations that they repeat internally like a mantra. Beware of excessive positivism, which can be counterproductive. It is better to use words that recognize the difficulty of the task at hand and motivate you to go for more. Today there are numerous apps on the market with affirmations that can accompany us in the process until it becomes automatic.
Love the process: Although we must keep our eye on the goal, it is also important to find pleasure in the journey. No one can succeed in a job they hate. Understanding your purpose and making each step meaningful can be the key that makes the difference between winning or losing the game or, in this case, the business. Enjoying the step by step process, adding challenges as we go, becoming more and more motivated are all fundamental tasks for a positive outcome.