Sports psychologists have identified six recurring traits that are common to Olympic gold medallist athletes. These traits of a champion apply to both men and women, but they are also dominant factors in the lives of those who succeed in nonathletic vocations as well. Let’s look carefully at each trait and see what we can learn. 1) Self-analysis. The successful athlete knows their strengths and weaknesses, and engages in a critical appraisal that is honest but never negative. 2) Self-competition. A winner knows that he or she can only control their own performance, so they compete against their own best effort and not that of others. 3) Focus. The champion is always ‘in the present’, concentrating on the task at hand. 4) Confidence. Successful athletes control anxiety by setting tough but reasonable goals. As these goals are reached, their confidence increases. 5) Toughness. This is a mental trait that involves accepting risk and trying to win, rather than trying not to lose. A winner sees change as opportunity, and accepts responsibility for their own destiny. 6) Having a game plan. Even the best athletes know that talent is not enough; they must have a game plan. And here is the good news: you can develop these six traits. You say, ‘Where can I get a game plan for my life?’ From the God who loves you and says in His Word, ‘For I know the plans I have for you…plans for good…to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen’ (vv. 11-12 TLB).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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