London 2012 is well under way and every moment of it is full of a variety of amazing human beings showcasing a variety of incredible skills. Despite the obvious differences between each sporting discipline and between each individual Athlete there seems to be one similarity that's consistent with them all. They all share some specific personal attributes and qualities. Many of them say, when interviewed, that these are learned, cultivated qualities and not necessary something they were just 'born' with.
Although we may not all be competing in sports at World level, we can definitely take some inspiration from the Athlete's mind sets and apply them to our own lives.
1. Dedication
A quality which seems to shine brighter than any other is the Athletes' dedication and commitment to their training and competition. They know that in order to be World class they must train everyday and stay completely focused on their discipline.
If there is something in our own lives that we really want, even a small thing, dedicating ourselves to it and committing to achieving it can be the difference between success and failure.
2. Visualisation
Every Athlete uses visualisation before and sometimes even during competing. They go through, in their minds, exactly how they want their performance to go and vividly see every detail of this.
We can use this same technique in many day to day situations and it can help to prepare our mind and body to perform the very best they can.
3. Ability to set goals
Some Athletes say it is to get to the Olympics, others say it is compete in a final and some focus on that big prize of the gold medal. Whatever their plan, each Athlete has a goal. This is a pre-designed procedure which starts as a dream and is gradually cultivated in to a structured plan.
In our own lives, we can take inspiration from this. We just need to start by writing down our ultimate dream and then decide on small day-by-day steps we can follow to bring us closer to achieving that dream.
4. Self belief
A quality which every Olympian seems to have is unquestionable belief in themselves and the confidence that they are the very best. This, as many of them often comment, is essential as if they want the World to believe they are the best, they must believe this themselves first.
Many of us feel that it is 'wrong' or 'selfish' to have a belief in ourselves but self belief can allow us to feel more confident, achieve our dreams and feel happier with our lives.
5. Healthy body attitude
Athletes are living proof of the mantra 'my body is my temple' and they always treat their bodies as a finely tuned machines. They eat correctly, exercise often and even take regular recovery periods to rest and recharge.
If we all do this on a smaller scale then we will give our bodies the chance to be in the best health and the best shape they possibly can and as a result will live longer, healthier lives.
Finally, as a last inspiration, one of the best quotes of the games so far has to be from a swimmer who said 'If you dream as big as you can dream, anything is possible'. This is certainly a mantra which we can all learn from.