Gold is won by a gold medalist
What symbolizes success better than a gold medal? A gold medal is an ultimate
affirmation that you have achieved the highest level of mastery. Given the chance
to interview gold winning athletes, I was able to discover a common secret for
success. To win a gold medal, it’s crucial to cultivate an animation of a gold
medalist. Yes, it’s that simple. If you want to be successful, you have to feel, act,
and think like a success.
The most important step is feeling like you already are a success. A medal winning
dancer once told me, “It’s not about what you do. It’s about how you do it. You
have to perform as if you’ve already won first place. If you can’t convince yourself
that you deserve gold, you surely can’t convince the judges.” The point applies to
real life as well. Briefly working in human resources, I was repeatedly told that in
the final stage of the interview, resumes and work experience are no longer the
decisive factor. The candidate that ‘appears’ to be the best person for the job gets
the job. The belief that we are already thriving in our field influences the way we
project ourselves to others. It influences our posture, tone and volume of voice, an
d gestures. Consequently, these factors will influence how people perceive us. Thus,
it is important to feel successful in order to prove to others, and to ourselves, that
we deserve success.
Once you feel like a success, the next logical step is to act like one. I once asked
an Olympic boxer about how he became an Olympian. He said, “You have to train
like an Olympian, and eat like an Olympian. That’s how you eventually become an
Olympian.” This applies to other fields of profession as well. If you want to be a
model, you need to exercise and eat right to look like a model. That’s how you get
the job. When I was auditioning to become a sideline reporter, I acted as if I was
already a renowned sideline reporter. For months, I summarized sports articles,
wrote my own reporting pieces and interviews, memorized them, and practiced
reporting them in front of my phone camera. When I went in for the audition, it
was only natural for me and the producers to feel like I was the perfect person for
the job. Not only did I get the job, all the work I did helped me become the young
est woman in the industry to host a highlight program this season. Acting as if
you’re already successful will help you gain a clear perspective on what you need
to work on. It will also provide you with a strong momentum towards real success.
The final step is to think like a successful person. Covering a story on an
international fencing competition, I watched a world famous fencer make a
comeback from 7 points deficit. It was a nerve wrecking game and he could have
easily lost his gold medal. I later asked how he managed to win first place. He told
me he has already beaten everyone at the competition before. And since he
already knew how to win, he had no doubt that he was going to win again. The
7 points deficit wasn’t going to stop him. Easily put, he was able to win a gold
medal because he was thinking like a gold medalist. Having the right values, attitude,
and mindset is an important factor when it comes to becoming successful.
Embodying the work ethics, positivity, gratitude, confidence, and leadership of a
successful person will make you into one.
Feeling, acting, and thinking like a successful person play a tremendous role in
attracting real success to our lives because they guide us to success, and ultimately
shape us into success. Believe that you can win gold medals and work for them
like a gold medalist would. You deserve nothing but gold.