Work in Progress
August 29th, 2008, 11:07 am · 4 Comments · posted by Michelle May, M.D.
Like many of you, during August I tuned in nightly to watch Olympians compete on the world stage. As incredible as the events were, the stories of athletes who made personal sacrifices to train every day or who overcame daunting challenge to represent their countries inspired me most.
It didn’t motivate me to hurdle my dining room chairs or do a handstand from my roof into my pool. (I don’t usually dwell on limitations but there are just some things this 45 year old body was never meant to do.) Instead, the athletes’ accomplishments represented the daily to-do’s I sometimes slog through as well as the larger goals that I’ve set for my life.
I’d like to share a few great quotes from past Olympians and some of the take-home lessons I can apply each day (even without setting up a balance beam in my family room):
Change your Thoughts to Change your Results
“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” -Scott Hamilton, figure skater
Realize that what you believe and think causes you to feel a certain way, which causes you to do certain things, which ultimately leads to specific results. In other words, your thoughts are self-fulfilling prophecies. Of course, your results usually reinforce your beliefs and thoughts, resulting in either a positive feedback loop or a vicious cycle. If you’ve taken an Am I Hungry? workshop, this will look familiar: Thoughts > Feelings > Actions > Results.
If you don’t like your results, become aware of what you’ve been thinking. With practice, you can change your thoughts about eating, physical activity, and anything else, to get the results you desire.
Mistakes are Just Lessons
“The worst thing is to be paralyzed by fear. It’s better to fall trying. Then you learn what to do so you don’t fall again.” -Brian Boitano, figure skater
Every mistake brings you one step closer to being an expert by discovering what’s most effective for you. Just do the best you can and learn from what didn’t work.
Advance the Ball
“Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve ever done before.” -Bonnie Blair, speed skater
Don’t get trapped into thinking you have to do something perfectly and nothing else will do. I like the football analogy of “advancing the ball.” Rarely is a football game won on 80 yard passes. Instead, think in terms of advancing down the field a few yards and first downs at a time. When the window of opportunity to reach your goal opens up, you’ll have the momentum and be in position to score.
Consistency and Repetition Win
“To be an Olympian you only have to work out twice; when you want to and when you don’t.” –Darn, I couldn’t find the name of the athlete that said this! Please post the answer (with a source) as a comment below.
Practice, practice, practice. Consistency and repetition are the keys to energizing new behaviors. Baby steps that you’re willing to practice consistently will help you gradually rewire what feels good to you. Encourage yourself to move forward toward your goals every day.
I’d love to hear your favorite Olympic quotes and how they inspired you too!
Copyright 2008 Michelle May, M.D.
(This is an excerpt from my monthly E-Newsletter; to read more, visit http://www.amihungry.com/enews.shtml.)
September 1st, 2008 at 5:41 pm
“They may become harder to achieve, but your dreams can’t stop because you’ve hit a certain age or you’ve had a child.” –Dara Torres
I often think its too late for me to do many of the things that I wanted to do in life or that I don’t have time for dreams because I have a family. This quote reminds me that dreams don’t have an age limit!
September 1st, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Fabulous quote Kristin! This one inspires me too.
Michelle May MD
September 14th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
One of my favorite quotes was actually from Zhang Yimon, who directed the opening ceremonies. He was asked about the obstacles to working with 22,000 participants and the incredible live performance and he said,
““We had many difficulties. I do not like complaining, but sometimes there are obstacles you can not overcome, that you and your team have to face. What everyone cares about is the final result. We all know this, so we don’t explain.”
Often, even when I’ve done something well, I try to explain the imperfections. What is important is the final result, and explanations or complaints only detract from others’ experience of the good in the final outcome. The rest of the world watched in awe and knew nothing of the obstacles this man faced. In fact, before I read the interview, I didn’t even think to learn the name of the man who brought the world one of the most incredible performances of our time.
September 15th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Wow Mimi - there is a powerful lesson in that for all of us!