Game Over! What do I do now?

You've retired from sport and there is still so much of your life ahead of you. What are you going to do? What is going to inspire and motivate you at the same level sport did?



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It's time to face facts - Oprah did

I was inspired by Oprah last week as she started the week with a focus on creating a better life in 2009. Oprah is once again battling her weight and she now realises that she doesn't have a weight issue, she has a self-love issue.
The point that got me thinking was the fact that Oprah realised that she needed to face facts and be honest with herself if she was going to move forward.
Its a very important point for everyone planning their goals. Where are you currently at? It's time to be brutally honest with yourself. Unless you are, you won't be working from the correct starting line and you won't achieve what it is you want to achieve. Think of it like booking a holiday to Hawaii. It's no use booking your flight out of Sydney if you live in Melbourne. You won't get there. You need to bridge the gap from Melbourne to Sydney.
The same with financial or career goals. Be honest where you are currently at. Do you need to do extra work or extra study to bridge your gap? Do you need to complete a financial statement to see where you are really at?
Be honest about your health. What do you need to do ensure energy and vitality in 2009. Does your diet need an overhaul, do you need to find out the facts about the food you are eating, or would you benefit from a little more exercise. You may also need to consider how your relationships are.
Facing facts will enable you to make the tough decisions that will help drive you forward to success.

Goals and Dreams: Act on them now

"GOALS: Imagine what you can do when you are inspired by them, imagine what you can do when you believe in them, imagine what you can do when you ACT upon them." (Jim Rohn)
I shared this quote today at a networking breakfast and thought to share it here. Your imagination can either create OR limit your opportunities and the choice is yours. When you dare to dream, such as many of the Olympians on show recently, then you open yourself up to what is possible. When that dream inspires you, pathways will open themselves up to you and it's up to you to take them, to ACT upon them. It is not enough to think that your thoughts will create your results. By having inspired thoughts, you will find a way to take the right action. Pay attention to the signs. The one who takes regular daily action in the right direction is the one who will succeed. Is that you?
If you want help with focus and training your mind towards your dreams, visit masteryourmindmasteryoursport.com to register for my online course.

Goal Setting with Brian Tracy

I was reading "Maximum Achievement" by Brian Tracy last night and got some new distinctions with regard to Goal Setting. It wasn't anything that I hadn't heard before, but just by reading it again and being open to learning something new, I understood it at a deeper level.
It is with regard to the power of persistence, particularly for goals that are much bigger than your current experience. These goals do not come easy or quickly - as Brian Tracy says "you will have to grow and develop to the point that you are ready to achieve it." Consequently, you experience challenges to reach that point.
Think of all the great things that you have achieved in the past - did they follow times of difficulty and even initial 'failures'? When you experience the same challenge over and over again, there is still something for YOU to GET. Here is another chance to learn and grow.
Many of the greatest successes in time occurred 'one step beyond' a great failure. Often it seems like everything is suggesting to quit, when in fact it is the challenge to you - HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT THIS GOAL? How much do you belief in yourself. Along the way you even get to learn something about faith and trust at a deeper level than you ever thought possible.
Get the learnings, belief in yourself and your dream, and GO FOR IT!

Life after sport - Scott Miller, Andrew Johns

The headline report on the news last night revealed Olympian Scott Miller and former Rugby Union player, Mark Catchpole had been involved in major drug operation. It is yet another example of a fall from grace for a talented sportsperson and it once again highlights to me the need for athletes to consider their future beyond sport.
Andrew Johns, in being nominated to the Australian Rugby team of the century, declared that Rugby is his whole life. I think therein lies the problem.
Yes, to achieve at the highest levels requires discipline and laser-focus. This narrow focus, however, can close an individual to other opportunities present in their life. In being so caught up in their passion for their sport, it is not uncommon for athletes to forget about setting new goals on retiring from sport.
I know for me, retiring from sport was more about NOT playing anymore, rather than looking purposely towards what I would do now. I wandered around for 6 years and fell in and out of retirement three times, trying this and that, before I finally reignited a new passion.
Don't let it take that long. Start thinking now about what else you want to achieve in life. How can you utilise your sporting success to inspire others or transfer these skills to success in business.
If you have have retired from sport or are doing so in the near future, now is time to ask yourself "How can I continue to live my life with passion?"

Learnings from Dave Lakhani of Bold Approach

I had the extreme pleasure of spending time with author and master of persuasion, Dave Lakhani while touring through Cambodia with Chris Howard's Billionaire Adventure Club.
I learnt alot about selling myself and it got me thinking about how, as athletes, we might sell ourselves short - not only to others, but more importantly to ourselves. Are you selling yourself short? What I mean is are you aspiring to be the best or only to be the best that you 'think' you are capable of. Einstein said that we are limited only by the boundaries of our own thinking. When you dare to go outside those boundaries then you can begin to play in a greater arena. Dare to dream bigger.
When I started going to personal development seminars I started seeing how I can do so much more. I had stopped setting grand goals after I made it to the Olympics - that was what 25 years of my life had been about. Now I see that I can do so much more. I am going for Gold in life. So should you! What do you need to do to get there?
You can find out more about Dave and persuasion at Art of Persuasion

Wayne Carey and life after sport

It's disappointing that some of our most successful athletes become undone in their own personal lives. Wayne Carey is another example of a sportsman that is unable to translate success on the sports field to success off. With recent events there has been much speculation by various experts. Speculation includes Wayne Carey's consideration for AFL's Hall of Fame.
It begs the question: Is the Hall of Fame confined to feats on the sporting field OR should it recognise athletes with champion qualities off the field too?
Perhaps if the Hall of Fame (in any sport) considers the latter, then the next generation of sportsmen may aspire for greatness in all facets of their life.
I believe its important for athletes to think about goals beyond their sport. I'm talking about goals that compliment sporting success and these can address personal, career and financial areas of life. Goals provide direction and when you set them, write them down, and then commmit to them, you will define your path. Your actions and behaviour will reflect your goal. By thinking about the type of person you want to BE, and setting boundaries on how you will act, then you can get greater results in life.
Create balance in your life and think about what else you want to achieve in life. How do you want to be remembered?