Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to achieve success gaining 8 gold medals during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. The task will be more than difficult. You must sacrifice daily. Oh, and you get to consume 12,000 calories a day! And one more thing, Mr. Phelps — this memory will not self-destruct!
We have been mesmerized and thrilled to watch Michael Phelps win gold medal after gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. But it doesn’t come easy. His daily regimen consists of training for 5 hours a day, 6 days a week relentlessly.
I had to pause and think about what he has done and how you and I can apply these principles to our own lives in business. Here are some principles I see that you and I can take from his great achievement and apply to our own lives:
1. Turn A Negative Into A Positive. As a child, Michael Phelps had ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He probably was called names. People looked at him funny, etc. However, he got interested in swimming as a way to deal with that energy and channeled it into good use. We all have negatives. Stuff happens to each of us. What can you do to turn your negative into a positive? When life hands you lemons, don’t just make lemonade—make champagne! Phelps sure did!
2. Discipline Yourself Mercilessly. I don’t know, but I’ll bet that Michael has had many days when he wakes up and would rather do something other than swim more laps in a pool! After the 100 billionth time (probably seems like that to him!) he probably could justify taking it easy, taking a break, relaxing. Hey, if someone has already won a gold medal, it is easy to just sit back and take the easy road. But that is not the way for Mr. Phelps. He’s at it working and following the instructions of his coach, Bob Bowman. He listens to his coach. He does what the coach says to do. He is open to learning and growing. What if you were to decide on that one thing you really want to achieve in your life and get the right coach? Then what if you discipline yourself mentally and physically to achieve that goal? I’ll bet you’d be surprised at the good you can do! Zig Ziglar said it well years ago, The tougher you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you. The easier you are on yourself, the tougher life will be on you. Good point, Zig!
3. Have Fun With Others. Phelps’ teammates have nicknamed him Gomer after the character Gomer Pyle played by Jim Nabors. Phelps is a likable, fun guy. Perhaps he is a real-life Forrest Gump! Yes, he is disciplined but he makes sure he has fun. Being likable is one of the most important traits you can have in sales. Sometimes you have to bite your tongue to be nice, but do it! Always be gracious and kind no matter what. That is the goal. It would be easy for the guy with the most medals in history to be pious and obnoxious. Well, not for ole Gomer! Be fun and have fun with others. This will do more to help sales and credibility than being a mean, quiet sourpuss!
4. Focus. This is hard. Phelps told NBC news, eat, sleep, swim, that’s all I can do. He knows that to achieve greatness you have to focus and be disciplined. You might not want to win 8 gold medals at an Olympics. But what about learning a new skill? What about being the best salesperson in your division? Find that goal and get the resources, books, training, coaches and whatever necessary to achieve your goal. You’ll be a better person for it and help others along the way.
5. Reward Yourself On Achievement. Phelps makes sure he celebrates with others and with those he loves. It is important to celebrate not just when we achieve the big goal. Create mini-celebrations along the way. Made that extra sales call you didn’t want to make? Congratulate yourself with a small reward. Got that extra sale? Do something meaningful for yourself and loved ones. As you reward yourself regularly with the small and big wins, you teach your subconscious that the reward will be there. This helps you achieve even more.
Mission accomplished, Mr. Phelps! You and your team have made it work. We’re proud of you and celebrate your victories.
So, what are YOU doing to set goals for those things that you want to do in your life? Relationship Marketing tells us to find ways we can help others. What if you had a goal to help 3 extra people today? What about making those extra sales calls? What about reaching for that stretch goal that you know you can make with a little more work?
As I think Michael Phelps might say, Get in that pool. 10 more laps!
Go for it!
Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and columnist who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.
