I love the Olympics! Do you?
I enjoy witnessing the thrill of competition and celebrating when my favorite athletes win but I especially enjoy hearing their stories. Their personal stories are rich with hard work, dedication and the unwavering support of family and friends who believed in them.
For many athletes at the Games, it wasn’t a straight road. They had to overcome a lot of obstacles in pursuit of their dreams. They’ve overcome health problems, injuries, addiction, family struggles, financial hardship and more to become the best athletes in the world. (Speaking of overcoming obstacles, did you read about the Olympic refugee team? Wow, talk about inspiring!)
Taking care of yourself–mind, body and spirit–isn’t an option if you want to be an Olympian. When I look at these athletes, they are all poster child examples of what it means to practice smart self care. They are extraordinarily focused, have Herculean work ethics and believe in themselves and in their dreams!
If I were to take a (lighthearted) guess as to what the medalists do in terms of self care to achieve a certain medal status, I might break it down into the following:
** Please note, I know that in reality, all Olympians, regardless of if they medal or not, practice some or all of these ideas… I’m just showing it to you in this form to make a point! Did you get it?**
So as you think about your own self care strategies, where might you fall on this chart?
Would you earn a bronze, a silver or a gold medal?
Or would you even be on the podium?
And if not, why not?
Your goals and dreams are just as important as those of the Olympians that we are watching on television right now. If your desire is to grow a successful business, raise a happy family, experience amazing health, travel the world, make lots of money so you can be of more service to the world, invent something, improve your community or whatever else your heart desires, you can make it happen. And building a strong self care foundation is a key ingredient for your success.
Revitalizing Action: If you’re ready to up your game and revitalize your self care plan, start small. Pick one thing that you can commit to today – maybe it’s eating more vegetables, trying a new form of exercise, spending more time with your kids or asking for more help at work – and try it for a week and see how it goes.
And if working with a coach is part of your plan, get in touch, ok?
Have fun watching the Olympics!
Elizabeth