When to quit and when to persevere?

For me persevering in my sport was less about self-belief and more a decision and commitment that this is what I am going to do. I had a dream to go to the Olympics and I had my fair share of struggles to get there. In 1998 I was without a beach volleyball partner and wondered whether it was worth continuing to play. I contemplated doing something different - settling down, getting a job.
The thing for me was I would have hated to get to the year 2000 and then think, what if? That was the driving force in my heart and I thought, I have got to keep going for it.
To make a decision it is really finding out within your heart what the answer is. If you are going to quit because “it’s too hard”, then that’s the wrong answer. But if there are new opportunities then that is different. You want to stop doing something only when you see something better. When you see this is where you CAN go. That’s really what I truly believe in, using your internal radar. Trust your instincts and not what other people say. They might not necessarily be the right guide.
Remember, other people may have other ideas about your ability and you don’t want your success to be determined by others. If a coach doesn’t like you or you don’t fit into their game plan then it might be a sign to take a different direction. There may be another, easier path to follow. The important thing is to make a decision.
Challenges are part of the journey and it’s who you become on the way. I worked for a beach volleyball team that aspired to go to Beijing in 2008. They didn’t make it. However, the people they became on the way will strengthen where they go beyond. One of them is still travelling on a World Tour. The other has retired and following a new exciting path - she is still a champion.
The most important thing is who you become along the way as you keep going towards your goal.

Mindset affecting health results

Part of being a sportsperson is keeping the body in optimal shape. Extra kilos can severely impact sporting performance. In my sport of beach volleyball, playing in a bikini, aesthetics was another incentive to keep trim. Now retired and exercising less, I am mindful of my weight wanting to maintain my health and fitness. It is often a concern for retiring athletes that the kilos can pile on. Or is it?
Why do some people easiy maintain their weight while seemingly able to eat anything and others just have to look at food at put on a kilogram or pound? How much does the mindset influence your weight and the effect of food on your metabolism?
I teach and talk alot about beliefs and that you get what you expect, or believe in. For example, if you believe that you will get fat when you stop playing sport, you are more likely to, than if you believe you could maintain an ideal body weight. What sort of pictures and feelings do you get in your mind when you:
- think of your body
- eat a treat or 'fattening' food
- break your diet
Your pictures and thoughts are the instructions to your mind/body of what you want, even when they are negative. Therefore, if you picture weight going on your thighs, then that's what is going to happen. Your thoughts determine your reality.
Play around with sending positive thoughts while eating or even before you go to sleep. Imagine yourself burning up the calories or fat easily.
For tips on the right foods to eat and increasing your metabolism go to www.evolveyourhealth.com and download a free e-book. My good friend Keri Norley combines healthy eating habits with a healthy mindset for long-lasting results.

Doing your Best vs Being the Best

I was inspired to write this by a comment made by a dancer last night on Australia’s “So you think you can Dance”. A male dancer was facing the chop from the competition and told the judges “I didn’t come here to be the best, I only wanted to be the best I could be.”
Now this comment may sound admirable to some as most champions endeavor to be the best they can at whatever they do. And yet, what stops an individual from aspiring to be the very best. Do they not think themselves capable or worthy of being the best.
You get what you expect, and by discounting yourself from being the best, you are really limiting yourself. I’m sure that if this dancer aspired to be the best in the competition, then he would be a better dancer. I’m not saying that he would go on to win the competition. It is said, “shoot for the moon, even if you fall short you will land upon the stars”.
What are you aiming for in your career after sport? Are you setting yourself the same kind of lofty goals you might have as an athlete? Your beliefs will determine what you do with your life, and when you change your beliefs to be positive and empowering, you will then be on the path to greatness in a new career. Find out how I can help you at info@annetteffect.com.au

Champions are not infallable and neither is Phelps

After training so hard and winning 8 Gold Medals at the Beijing Olympics, one can appreciate Michael Phelps taking some time out from the sport. It might be harder to appreciate why he would take time out from looking after his body and imbibe in some marijuana smoking. We may forgive Phelps for wanting to live a little after such the strict discipline of training and competition, but it is unfortunate that his experimentation with drugs found its way to media attention.
Phelps now faces a 3 month suspension from USA swimming which may not affect him much since he was having a break anyway. It may cause him to reflect on how he needs to live his life now that his every action might appear on the net or a newspaper somewhere in the world. I'm sure he didn't think about this when he aimed to be a superstar of the pool. Is there ever any preparation for the high media attention that such a performance creates?
It is a fact that with the medals, accolades and sponsorship dollars comes a responsibility - a responsibility the fans. Youngsters are vulnerable to the actions of their role models and cannot differentiate what actions are part of being a champion and what actions are not. To a young fan, the act of smoking marijuana becomes okay because Michael Phelps did it. Yes, it's a big responsibility to be a superstar athlete but consider that 'being a role model' is on the list of duties and Phelps has quietly accepted his reprimand.

Tennis and champions

I'm back from a week's holiday where I went to the Australian Open tennis and got to see some tremendous matches in the middle rounds, including Verdasco's win over Andy Murray. Every year the Australian Open tends to bring out a new shining light and so it was quite extraordinary to have the 1st and 2nd seed meet in the final.
What a match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. I was behind Federer's push to win his 14th Grand Slam and to regain his dominance in the game. I am so into studying the mindset of a champion, that I was disappointed to see the apparent look of defeat on Federer's face as he approached his final service game.
In that moment I saw some immaturity and lack of courage. He came crashing back down to the earth from the rarefied heights he had been living as the once 'god' of tennis. Perhaps Federer took his amazing skills for granted and didn't expect that he would need to draw on other skills such as fortitude and guts in the ultimate challenge. Last Sunday Federer was not up to the final challenge and I hope he takes the positive learnings from it to realise that there is something more for him to 'get' before he can claim that desired title of being the 'greatest of all time'.

Good Luck Matthew Hayden

Another sporting legend has retired. This week Australian Cricketer, Matthew Hayden, decided to retired gracefully from the game after being dropped from the team the previous week. Poor batting results led to his eventual sacking. Whenever a successful sportstar starts to underperform there tends to be controversy on whether to keep them on or let them go. In a team sport the needs of the team will usually come before the needs of an individual. The key decision makers of Australian cricket simply chose what was best for the good of the team, and cannot keep on a team member simply on past performance or loyalty. A team, and even companies, will go down if they did the latter.
It must have been a difficult decision for Hayden, as less than 2 months ago he spoke of his love for the game and that he had no plans to retire.
There are some that feel Hayden was forced to retire. No-one or nothing can force us to do anything. Yes, recent circumstance forced him to come to a decision point, and in future years he may be grateful for coming to this point sooner than later.
He had a choice to make and I hope he made his choice based on considering how he wanted to spend his next few years - persisting in proving himself making a comeback playing State cricket, or taking on new challenges. In one report, he says that he considered hanging in there to prove his critics wrong. Fortunately he decided against this. This is the wrong motivation for anyone. Hayden doesn't have anything more to prove and I congratulate him for having the courage to move on from a life he knows so well and leap into the unknown. The good thing is that he has new dreams working with charity and as long as he identifies with his new role he will be immensely successful. Good luck.

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.