Champion
Let’s face it, when we think of champions, we think about people who win.
I sure want to win in life. Don’t you? You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t.
If we look at the lives of champions up close, as if through a magnifying glass, we see a theme of consistency. They show up to competitions, presentations, conversations, whatever…with a predictable attitude and level of focus. Their actions are aligned with who they are.
It’s amazing.
Just how can they be that consistent day in and day out, despite all the odds…despite the many people trying to knock them off course? That’s the million-dollar question when watching the world’s greatest athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives.
You see, most people jump right into the game of life focused on how to win. “How can I get this raise? How can I win this competition? How can I impress this person? How can I win this deal? How can I build this business?”
Don’t get me wrong, asking the how question is the right thing to do. It just needs two companions to go before it: what and who.
Without these, the game of life is filled with being overwhelmed, exhausted, and irritable. I know this from firsthand experience.
For three years, I was winning as an entrepreneur in sports and business. I was climbing that mountain of success. I knew how to get the job done, and I did it well. To the world, I was reaching champion status.
But I wasn’t really winning. I had lost my oxygen. I was sleeping poorly because my brain was in overdrive. I was constantly stressed because I was never satisfied with my work. And I was losing my family and closest relationships because of it.
I was so focused on how I could become a champion in sports and business that I forgot about the purpose of my work and who it actually impact- ed. I never had a clear what and who. I didn’t know what I was fighting for. I lost sight of who I was fighting for.
True champions are crystal clear about their what and who before they identify the how. And with clarity comes consistency.
Think about driving a car on a highway. When you’re clear about the
speed limit, you know at what speed you should keep your car moving. If no speed limit were posted, you would be wondering, “How fast should I go?”
Our speed limit in life is our what and how.
When we’re clear about what we’re fighting for in this season of life, it becomes easier to say no to the distractions…to make one decision over another. When we’re clear about who we’re fighting for, it becomes easier to get up on the days when our minds and bodies tell us to stay put. It gives us the extra drive to push past the hurdles that get in our way.
If you want to be a champion, you must seek clarity about your what and
who before the how.
Ask yourself these first two questions below to get clarity on your what and who. The last two questions will help you identify the how. Notice they all start with “W”…the first letter of the word win:
- What do you want in this season of your life?
- Who’s counting on you?
- What do you need to start doing to accomplish your what and come through for your who?
- What do you need to stop doing to accomplish your what and come through for your who?
Letting the what and who come before the how requires a mindset shift.
And the mind is where champions are made.
Did you catch that? Champions are made, not born.
Make that shift today because champion status is ultimately up to you— and you deserve it!
