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Five Secrets to Creating a "Goal" Medal Life - Part II

Written by Ed Sykes

Saturday, 29 October 2005

Recently, Joy and I had the pleasure of speaking at a
conference of Educational Office Professionals in Baltimore,
MD. The other speakers included Ms. Deborah Phelps,
mother of six-time gold medalist in the 2004 Summer
Olympics swimmer Michael Phelps, and Agatha von Trapp,
the 91-year-old daughter of Captain and Maria von Trapp,
the family on which the movie "Sound of Music" was based.
To say the least, there were a variety of subjects discussed
that day.

As I listened to Ms. Phelps describe Michael's
achievements, I realized that his story had many of the
secrets of success mentioned in my September article, Five
Secrets to Creating a ‘Goal' Medal Life.

Let's go over these five secrets again and see how you can
apply them:

1. Create Passion with Goal Setting
Ms. Phelps mentioned that Michael, after competing in the
2000 Summer Olympics, was excited about the experience.
Michael told her he wanted to compete again in the 2004
Summer Olympics. He had that burning desire to compete
and win. So they sat down, developed goals, and mapped
out a detailed plan for his success.

What do you have passion about in your career, your life?
Have you put pen to paper and developed goals to achieve
what you want in life?

2. Believe in Greatness
Once Michael had competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics
and held his own, he now believed he could win the
swimming events in the 2004 Summer Olympics; not only
win, but shatter world records. He visualized standing on
the center stand with the gold medal around his neck. He
visualized what winning the gold medals would look like,
how it would feel, etc.

Have you visualized your "goal" medal life?

3. Create a Mastermind Group
Ms. Phelps said that once Michael set his goal, she (a single
parent), his older sisters, Michael, and his long time swim
coach, Bob Bowman, came together to develop a cohesive
team for success. This was Michael's mastermind group.
This group was devoted to removing barriers and helping
Michael achieve his dream. Bob Bowman provided the
technical expertise; and Ms. Phelps and his sisters provided
the financial, emotional, and family support to keep Michael
focused on his goals. They kept him focused on his goals
while removing any distractions.

Who is your mastermind group?

4. Embrace Challenges
Michael's challenges began before his first Olympics. He
was a son of divorced parents. Yet, he never used that as an
excuse. After the 2000 Summer Olympics, his challenge was
how do I become a gold medal athlete? He took a hard look
at himself and received feedback from his mastermind group
concerning how to make his weaknesses his strengths, and
how to make his strengths the best in the world. He attacked
those weaknesses with gusto everyday in practice.

When was the last time you asked the question, "How can I
improve my skills to become the best?"

5. Never Give Up!
Ms. Phelps joked with the audience that as a mother,
Michael's style of swimming made her crazy. You see,
Michael, is a "comeback" swimmer. In most cases, he is
behind in his races. Then at the last moment, with a burst of
energy and an iron-willed belief he will win, he comes from
behind to win the race. He believes that he can win every
race as long as he is in the pool. He never gives up on his
belief that he can win.

Do you believe that you can win every race?

As Ms. Phelps left the ballroom, we embraced; and she
wished me the best. As she walked out the door, I thought
that the Phelps family is truly living a "goal" medal life...and
you can too. Start today.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

About The Author:

Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and success
coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress
management, customer service, and team building. You can
e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at
(757) 427-7032. Go to his web site,
http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter,
OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and
Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional."

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