What Works: Are you ready for the race?
Submitted by editor on Mon, 05/05/2014 - 10:45am
Saturday, California Chrome took the prize in the 140th Kentucky Derby. However, champions aren’t born that way. They are made. The horse’s owners didn’t wake up the day before the race and decide, “Hey, I’m going to race a horse and win the Kentucky Derby.”
They invested time, energy, training, and vision to help build up a champion. The race was a short 1-1/4 mile. But, the reward for winning was great. In fact, California Chrome took home a cool $1.4 million. Not bad for running a few minutes.
However, it’s not the few minutes of racing that won California Chrome the prize. Sure, the race represented the exact moment when all the time, energy, training, and vision paid off. But, if you think about it, all four of those components had to be there to create the win.
So, how does this work in YOUR life?
Time: If you have a challenge coming up, or even if you aren’t anticipating a challenge but want to be mentally, physically, or emotionally fit to take one on should it come, you need to give yourself time. Start now. Start with setting clear goals and intentions for yourself. Put some plans into place. Whatever your challenge is, or you think it will be, give yourself time to prepare yourself so you don’t have to overwork yourself at the last minute.
Energy: Energy is the same as effort. If you want to wake up in the morning so you can experience more of your day, but you keep hitting snooze, you aren’t putting the energy, effort, or action into those goals, intentions, and plans to make them real. You can dream it all you want. But to really ACHIEVE, you must do it. Take that step, put one foot in front of the other and, before long, you’ll make progress.
Training: Training equals repetition. Whatever you are striving for, you need to make your energy, effort, and action a habit. Did California Chrome win by training just once? No. It took many years of training and competitive racing to win the Kentucky Derby. Set a training schedule and stick to it.
Vision: Vision is all about mindset and, I assure you, if you are mean to yourself and tell yourself that you “can’t” do it, you won’t be able to. If you beat yourself up every time you try something and fall short, you will never run the distance. So be nice to yourself. Build a vision for your success. Ask yourself what success looks like for you and create an affirmation to support it. Commit to being nice to yourself and the rewards will be even nicer.
But what if others don’t believe that you can win the race? What if you have people in your life who are just intent to drag you down?
California Chrome made a believer out of skeptics. Although a favorite, those in the racing industry saw him as weak. Those who owned, trained, and rode him didn’t buy into it. That’s why there’s a fifth step to this process. Build yourself a team. Pack your team full of people who believe in you. Allow them to pump you up, cheer you on, and make you stronger.
No matter how youthful, mature, fit, unfit, book smart or street smart, you can win your personal race. And, for those of you who think age is a factor in training for your next challenge, Art Sherman, the horse’s work out jockey, is 77 years old. He is now the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.
By the way, I started Kaia Konditioning Kamp, a six-week women’s only fitness camp, today. I am waking up two hours earlier than I normally do to push myself to the limit for an hour five days a week. I’m also altering my eating habits to better nourish my body.
Last time I did Kaia, I’m sad to admit that I missed the last week and quit early. Why? I was mean to myself. Even though I was almost to the finish line, and had made a lot of progress, I didn’t finish the race because my inner voice was my own worst enemy. So, today, I’m setting a goal in front of all of you to be nice to myself while pushing myself hard and to finish Kaia on June 15. It’s a race I will win.
How will you win your race? What are you doing right now to meet or prepare for the challenges you may face in your life? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday on Carson Now.
