ALL ATHLETIC CAREERS MUST COME TO AN END
Do you know what Mark Spitz, Steve Lundquist, Tracy Caulkins, Flo Jo, Greg Louganis, Vitaly Scherbo and Janet Evans all have in common? They’re Olympic gold medalists and world record holders. Did you know 48 years ago, on July 18, 1976 at the Montreal Olympic Games, Nadia Comaneci became the first female gymnast in Olympic history to score a perfect 10.0? Probably not and you’re not alone.
Each of these athletes made history by achieving their ultimate goal. For a moment in time they were the best of the best in their respective sports, but today 99.99% of the world’s population has no idea what they achieved. That’s because regardless of how impressive they are, results become irrelevant fairly quickly. Someone bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled always comes along to grab the gold medal or set a new record.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Pursuing goals has the power to impact what we believe about ourselves and what we believe about ourselves is the major factor which influences the quality of our mindsets. Think about it. Are you prouder of yourself when your opponents forfeit or when you play your best and fight to win a tight game? Standing on top of the podium isn’t what inspires confidence, motivation and personal fulfillment. It’s everything you do to get there.
The road to success is paved with opportunities for growth and development. Learning how to win and lose with grace, learning how to lead, how to cooperate, having the courage to step outside your comfort zone to try new things, self-discipline, perseverance, resilience, and conscientiousness … these are all skills that will help you become the best version of yourself both on and off the field of play, but too many athletes put too much emphasis on results and not enough on the process.
Don’t misunderstand me. Results are important and have a place in becoming a peak performing athlete. Winning, breaking records, college scholarships or qualifying for Olympic trials, for example, are all achievements worthy of celebrations, but true victory isn’t achieving your goals, it’s the person you become and the skills you acquire along the way as you pursue them.
AIM HIGH
Goals are important. Without them we are like nomads, aimlessly wandering, with neither purpose nor intention. Aiming high can be very powerful, because even if you fall short, the higher you aim, the higher you land, but if you’re not careful aiming high can also have negative consequences.
Placing more value on results than on what you do to achieve them leads to a cycle of needing increasingly more impressive results in order to feel confident, motivated and happy. There actually is scientific evidence which supports the notion that placing too high a value on results is both psychologically unhealthy and has a negative impact on performance. Why? The human brain thrives when it can predict outcomes. Far too many of the factors which affect results are unpredictable because they are out of your control, but the process – meaning the actionable steps you take and the work you put into accomplishing your desired results – is completely under your control and therefore 100% predictable. This allows your brain to flourish, optimizing the mental resources necessary to access a state of peak performance.
WHO YOU ARE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU ACHIEVE
Becoming the best version of yourself happens as you travel along the road to success, aiming high, overcoming the roadblocks you encounter along the way, and pursuing your goals even if you never actually achieve them. All athletic careers, even for the most elite of the elite, eventually come to an end, but who you are, what you’re made and the strength of your character is forever.
Bio: Antoinette Datoc is a certified Mental Performance Coach who specializes in helping athletes, their parents and coaches cultivate growth mindsets and mental strength. She is a competitive ballroom dancer and together with her partner (who happens also to be her husband) has accumulated more than a dozen national championship titles and represented Team USA in three world championship events.
