Inner Champion
Chapter One The Inner Champion
Future victories and defeats are sometimes determined by one's attitude towards them. Peyton Manning
What sets the best of the best in sports apart from the rest? Thinking. The importance of the right mindset in sports is succinctly and accurately expressed by the legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: "The mind makes the body work." The great tennis player Novak Djokovic later expressed a similar thought: "The physical preparation of the top 100 players is not that different... It's all about the ability to control excitement, not to let yourself down at the most crucial moment.
So, psychology plays a paramount role. Just physical data is rarely enough to rise to the podium. Even naturally gifted athletes, eager to develop all their data, have to put in colossal physical and psychological efforts because the secret of their success is not in muscle strength or refined technique — it's in the mind.
Famous athletes are often noted — especially by journalists — for their natural qualities. For example, the wingspan of the renowned Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps resembles the wings of an albatross; tennis star Roger Federer's sense of time rivals the best Swiss watches, and Olympic sprint champion, world record holder Usain Bolt, shoots like an arrow from a bow.
But few know that their natural gifts are complemented by a wealth of intelligence and hard work. If you want to take first place, don't let the brilliance of their glory deceive you; know that for thousands of hours in the pool, on the court, and on the track, they perfect both body and mind. Long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi, nicknamed the Flying Finn, won nine Olympic gold medals (five of them at the 1924 Paris Olympics alone). He said, "It all depends on the mind. Muscles are just a piece of rubber. I am who I am only thanks to the mind." And you too can develop concentration and discipline, without which champion thinking cannot be cultivated.
Whatever you embark on — work, sports, or everything at once — you can't become a winner in them without qualities such as self-confidence, concentration, and self-control. Unlike your physical form, your psychological state can change sharply because, during competitions, the brain is under pressure and must adapt to the situation. And if so, you can't leave the results of the performance to chance. Just as you can develop muscle strength through training, you can also train the strength of the mind. By creating a plan and setting goals, you can develop and cultivate mental flexibility that will help you succeed in all your endeavors.
Mold yourself into a champion. Everyone faces similar difficulties, and in the pursuit of perfection, they somehow cope with them, regardless of the sport they engage in. The key to personal and athletic success is your true "self"; it is what allows you to reach great heights. It's well-known — and to you too — that only those who always think about gold and are not satisfied with silver, who do not retreat from the fight and achieve victory, take home the highest-quality medals. A champion creates his success, despite all the obstacles that make it seem impossible.
Of course, most of us are not Olympic champions or even professional athletes. However, developing a champion mindset is within everyone's reach. Any athlete can learn to think like a champion. Everyone is capable of achieving success in their life journey by putting in the effort. You can always strive to surpass yourself. In any, even the most challenging situation, it's possible to stay on top, develop the inner strength that will lead you forward, and view the world through the eyes of a champion.
Partly, this process requires a willingness to learn and grow, to act skillfully and collectedly to significantly change your life. Unfortunately, only a few reach the Olympics or engage in sports professionally, so only a few seek the champion within themselves, coming to victory in competitions and over themselves. The truth is unpleasant, but if you accept it and want to become a champion in your own eyes strongly enough, then the flag is in your hands. The question is only whether you will carry it proudly above your head or drop it. Realize that the difference between a weak and the best result begins and ends with the mindset. Remember that everyone can learn to think like a champion, but will they? Winner's thinking helps show everything you are capable of and achieve success when it matters most. To unleash the champion within yourself, you'll have to unlock all hidden potential.
The right mindset allows you to fully realize your athletic abilities in competitions. Champions develop and nurture a comprehensive approach to the mind and body in competitions — the perfect balance of thinking, athleticism, and technique. They are always ready to showcase themselves in all their glory in any situation, not afraid of hard work, and don't regret time spent understanding what they truly want.
Compile a detailed report about yourself. Create a detailed report about yourself as an athlete; honestly evaluate all aspects of your sports life. Start with your thinking, physical preparation, technique, and strategy. How do you rate yourself on these four indicators? How do others rate you? Make sure there are no problems with them, as a negative attitude, insufficient effort, and a reluctance to improve form, technique, and strategy will turn you into a spectator in the stands, not a medalist.
As seen from Table 1, champions constantly strive to improve their mindset, physical data, skill, and competition strategy. Even if you are a natural athlete, talent needs to be developed. Even if you are in a strong team, you have to keep moving forward and believe that there are no limits to perfection. "No coach thinks about being satisfied with the result and calmness; for us, such words simply do not exist. We always continue to fight, show results, strive for more. And it doesn't matter if you're in first place or last," said Gregg Popovich, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, an NBA member.
What do you want to achieve — bronze, silver, gold? No matter your current level, never exclude the possibility of becoming a champion in your sport or in life. You can do better. You can fully unlock your potential. You are capable of seriously changing your life by changing your perceptions of what you can achieve. The right approach is expressed in decision-making as well as a well-internalized behavior model that constantly demands composure and strength.
To achieve a championship level, start thinking of gold as the color-symbol of your excellence. Evaluate personal and athletic efforts through gilded glasses. Think of personal gold as both a reward and a symbol of action, demonstrating your best qualities and achievements. Olympic freestyle wrestling champion Jordan Burroughs said, "I don't need anything other than gold." This became his mantra. Focus on the best, like Burroughs, and always aim for an excellent result. Whether you train in a college team or compete professionally, whether you engage in sports only on weekends or strive for a place in the Olympic team — aspiring for gold will allow you to work to showcase everything you are capable of and provide an excellent competitive experience. The pursuit of the highest standard, like nothing else, will help unlock your abilities. We all deserve respect and success, but they can only be achieved through a sensible approach and persistent effort.
Realize that for victory in your own game, in your own life, there will be no more fitting place and time than here and now. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, we are either busy being born or busy dying. So, it's better to dedicate time to achieving your sports goals. Show everyone a performance worthy of gold — in the gym, on the run, or perhaps on a massive football stadium. Why settle for something else? Think about this:
- No time? You deserve time!
- No strength? A second wind will open up!
- Doubting yourself? Start doubting your doubts!
Champions are not forged in the gym. They are shaped by something deep within themselves — desire, dream, vision. — Muhammad Ali
How does a champion's life change? That's the key champion's question. Take some time for it right now and imagine that you've just made an incredible breakthrough—either in sports or in life—and you're winning every day. Mentally go through your typical day, experience a new phase at work or a series of workouts, a new competition. Envision as many details as possible of what it's like to rise to the level of the best of the best, to become an improved version of yourself. What are you doing better or differently in this vision?
Now that you've reviewed your actions, looked at them in a new way, how do you think others will perceive them? What would you like them to see? What would truly amaze your teammates, coaches, and opponents? If you could evaluate the new you from an outsider's perspective, what would you see in changed behavior and attitude?
Clearly identify what hinders you the most. Immediately eliminate from your life any action or mindset that obstructs your path. To reach a championship level, you'll have to break free from all bad habits, such as being habitually late or doing something just for the sake of it. We are all champions until we defeat ourselves. Let your winning story be inspiring, vivid, personal. Before you live it, you need to see it. Each time you go through this exercise, the vision of how you reach the peaks will become more explicit and tangible. The new imaginary picture will become a ball rolling in the right direction.
To take a step forward, it's helpful to compare the pride and harmony you feel with a champion's view of life with the inevitable regrets and pain of realizing deep down that you always worked halfway. Will you then continue to sacrifice the coveted victory for momentary comfort? Or will you keep fighting with all your might, especially when you least want to?
I particularly like the definition of athletic perfection given by Anson Dorrance, the legendary coach of the University of North Carolina women's soccer team. Once, on his way to work early in the morning, he noticed one of the team's football players training alone in the distance on an empty field. He didn't stop, but later, he left a note for her in the locker room: "To contemplate a champion is to see a person squeezing everything out of themselves, working in sweat on the edge of possibilities when no one is watching." That girl, Mia Hamm, later became one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
A big dream and a clear vision of how to achieve competitive excellence are the best support for achieving perfection. What goal do you dream of? How should a champion who is fully immersed in the work, passionately pursuing their dream of becoming the best in their sport, look like? Make the image detailed and bright enough so that, when needed, it can evoke an adrenaline rush—a surge born only from the perfect match of the image with the most secret desire.
Kelly Holmes, a Knight of the Order of the British Empire and a famous middle-distance runner, did not abandon her aspirations even when faced with personal and sports difficulties. In particular, Holmes had to overcome depression and physical injury to eventually shine at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning Olympic gold in the 800m and 1500m events. In her book "Just Go For It! 6 Simple Steps to Achieve Success," the two-time Olympic champion showed how important it is to never doubt your abilities: "We would achieve nothing if we thought it was impossible. Dreams are not impossible, so go and live your dreams!"