annamitchell

Hanging In There

annamitchellI love Facebook. I come across all kinds of pearls of wisdom from the general masses and keep up to date with irrelevant information that I never needed to know in the first place. Occasionally though, something catches my eye and I read a quote from ncsasports.org this week that did just that —“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”

Think about that for a moment. That is a truly fantastic quote and one that I would recommend you all try to remember to help you get through the rough patches.

When I interviewed 2010 Ultraman World Championship Hawaii winner Mike Le Roux about his incredible endurance feats, one particular statement stuck with me: “At a certain point, it’s not about fitness, it’s about who can endure the most pain.” Sometimes it’s just that simple.

Anyone who has ever pursued a goal worth attaining has experienced the inevitable bumps along the way. It’s hard! Of course it’s hard, or everyone would do it and it wouldn’t be worth doing. How we face adversity determines our level of success. We have all been there. Feeling battered and bruised by failure. Humiliated and disappointed, most of us have wanted to give up at some stage. Some of us did and others chose to battle on. These are the fighters that make it to the top. Which are you?

Sometimes it’s hard to find a reason to keep going and that’s when you need to dig deep. Don’t wait till you hit a low point in your career to try to remember why you are here, be prepared and think ahead.

Develop an emergency “Pick Me Up Plan” to help get you back on track when giving up starts sounding like a great option. Try these techniques to stay strong against adversity:

Training Journal– Use your journal to record your successes and celebrate the good times. Describe in detail what happened and how it felt during the highlights of your career. Go back and re-read these when you are feeling discouraged and down. During a positive moment in your career write down all the reasons why you love doing what you are doing and why it’s all worth it.

Stay in the Moment– A disappointing performance can quickly set us on a downward spiral of negativity and self-doubt. We beat ourselves up for things that we did or didn’t do. We tend to exaggerate our errors and dwell on our mistakes. We worry about the future while stressing about the past. The trick to halting this negative spiral is to get yourself into the moment. Draw your attention to the here and now. Tune into the sights, sounds and smells around you right now. Focus on what is going on right at this moment and give yourself a break from the past and future. Take it one step at a time.

Positive affirmations– Don’t forget to post these powerful little reminders around your living or work space. Here is one to start you off: It’s hard to beat someone who doesn’t give up!

Smile.– Sometimes that’s all it takes to help you start feeling a little better.

Surround yourself with positive people and feed off their energy while replenishing your own.

Problem solve and get organized.– We are most likely to give up when we feel overwhelmed. Take some time to tie up some lose ends. Tap into your resources and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

We all feel like giving up at times but getting through those rough patches is what makes you a champ. Hang in there.

Read more Competitive Edge