How to achieve athletic success?
Most parents and athletes get involved in sport first because they love the activity but second because in some way they believe athletics will teach you how to be successful in life. This is wisdom. Life and athletic success go hand and hand. I have listed 10 timeless actions that produce not only athletic success but life success. These life success actions do not mean you will not go through anything but it does give you a roadmap to pull yourself up. Here are the 10 actions “How Tin Win in Life and Athletics.”
How To Be Successful In Life and Sport
How to achieve life and athlete success? Everyone wants success! We all desire to have joy, be healthy, have purpose and freedom. And since our economy revolves around money, we all need some form of currency to have freedom.
What is a Successful Athlete and Person
Success, on the other hand, does not need to involve money. You can be successful simply by making a positive impact on the world in some way. Success is more than money, status, or career; it is your perspective and approach to life.
My name is Damon J. Smith, and I am the founder of Souletics. I constantly ask myself difficult questions, like what is the meaning of life, how should we navigate the world we live in, and how should I define success? What I have come to realize is that success is defined by its author… you. And you must not allow the influences, distractions, and personal relationships to deter you from establishing your definition of success. Once you allow those distractions in your world, it’s game over.
You Define Success
I have had a life full of tremendous life success, and also some failures. Some of my successes include getting a collegiate scholarship, being on my college’s all-academic team, making the all-league team, playing two professional sports, working 15 years plus as a Senior Engineer in Silicon Valley, and becoming an entrepreneur. There are so many things I can list.
But the failures woven in through those years brought an equal amount of wisdom. My unique life has given me a unique skill set to help, empower, and develop others. Personal development requires a serious strategy. It is not a game, and a simple certification is not enough.
If you are serious about making some changes in your life, I encourage you to give me a call so we can talk about what it will take you to get you to the next level of whatever you want to achieve.
If you are lazy, unwilling to change or need a babysitter, I am not the one for you! I only work with those who are willing to invest the time and energy required to make change happen.
The keys to success are not a secret, but rather tried and true character traits. Always be willing to challenge yourself.
Here are the 10 Keys To Life and Athlete Success
1. Build Self Esteem
The first step in guaranteeing life success and athletic achievement is to build and maintain a healthy outlook on one’s self.
“Self-es·teemˈˌ/ˈˌself əˈstēm/ noun confidence in your own worth and abilities; self-respect. “you have self-respect, dignity, self-regard, faith in yourself; moral compass, self-confidence, and self-assurance.”
Self-esteem starts with how you view yourself, the world you live, your failures, and successes. First, you must realize you are worthy. I am worthy! Say it! Repeat it! Say it! Whatever your situation, you have the ability to take dominion over it.
You have the ability to change it and all the character traits to live a life without fear, constant doubt, and indecision. One simple way to improve your self-esteem is to take account of your successes in life.
You might be wondering if you have had any.
Steps To Acknowledging Your Wins and What You Have Overcome:
1. Write Down Your Age
2. Write Down “365”
3. Multiply 365 X Your Age
If you are 16 or older, that is at least 5840 days for you to find a moment in your past life when you have won. Sometimes it takes simple math to identify those things we find hard to acknowledge.
Building your self-esteem starts with acknowledging simple wins and what you have overcome to get to this specific moment in time. I want to help you achieve athlete success and build the confidence you already have inside you to reach your specific desired result.
2. How to Build Self Confidence in Sport
To achieve the elite-level athlete success, you must have self-confidence. What positive life actions do you need to take to change your life and build confidence? You can teach yourself how to take control of your life by walking by faith and not by sight, followed with unshakable confidence.
“Confidence is courage in the midst of fear and doubt. We always have the opportunity to press reset and try again using a better strategy.”
When I look at my life, it has been one of constant adaptation to move with our ever-changing environment. The world that we live in is complex, with constant stimuli, environmental triggers, work stress, and the roaring lion known as social media.
I always look at how to change those problem areas and take action with boldness, confidence, and courage.
But first, in order to know “how to live in confidence,” you must be willing to make some changes to take control of your life. You must be willing to look in the mirror.
Looking in the mirror is not necessarily about identifying what’s wrong, but rather taking an honest look at what is right, what are the possibilities, and what you are capable of if you give yourself the right opportunity.
How to build confidence in sport: Evaluation – evaluate what you would like to see in your life, what you desire, and what actions you can take to point yourself in the right direction. This process of evaluation can be as quick as a few minutes or as long as a few months. Success is determined by your mindset and the complexity of your obstacle.
Evaluation is the first step to solving your most significant problems. I think it was Einstein himself who said that if he had 1 hour to solve a problem, he would spend 55 minutes diagnosing the problem and 5 minutes solving it. Never underestimate the importance of evaluation!
Athlete Success Assessment – After evaluation, you will assess what you need to do to make the changes. Do you have the skills, knowledge base & resources to make the changes? I believe all of us have exactly what we need within our internal infrastructure to live with confidence backed by personal success and practical application. But we must access those internal characteristics. Sometimes we can do this on our own, and often we may need a good book, development program, or trusted person to assist us in bringing the best out of ourselves.
Plan of Action – write down what you will do to overcome the challenges and reach your desired result.
Take Action – Follow your plan of action for at least 21 – 40 days.
Measure the Results – take a look at your life. Do you see the change in yourself?
“Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6
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3. Learn How to Win In Life and Athletics
BECOME A WINNING MINDSET MACHINE
How To Stomp Out Fear – To win in life and in athletics you must overcome fear. Fear is a false expectation appearing real. Fear starts in mind to learn how to master fear and use it as an advantage.
Reach Your Goals – Anything truly is possible…And I mean anything, but you must master the process.
How To Recover From Failure – Holding on to past failures is a big roadblock to success. Learn to overcome failure and use it to help you reach your destination.
To achieve Athlete Success you must be MENTALLY TOUGH AND FLEXIBLE and have THE ABILITY TO THRIVE IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
To win in life, you must learn how to win; you must always take note and evaluate the small wins you have in life. This will give you the ability to repeat these successes in other areas such as athletics.
The world is going through a shift…This is a shift that is spiritual, mental, and physical. Subjects that were taboo and unapproachable are now at the forefront of discussion.
Why? Society can no longer hide its history and current reality. Corporate corruption, unjust wars, systematic imbalances, social unrest, and injustice have now come under fire.
The question is, while all of these bad situations, circumstances are real problems. What is the solution? The solution is walking by faith and not by sight, and taking actions that will result in athletic success.
The solution is learning to have a winning mindset in spite of the obstacles and challenges. Life is not without struggle, at least for me. And most likely a lot of other people.
Life can be much like a roller coaster full of excitement, fear, laughter, and coming down from a high.
The focus is on maintaining mental fortitude in the midst of the trials and tribulations.
How do you do this? You must eliminate those things that interrupt your peace, focus, vision, and faith.
Yes, it’s that simple. But this requires recognition! Or the ability to recognize those things that cause malfunctions.
There is a scripture that says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
What is that saying? Well, I believe it is saying lay aside those habits, friends, behaviors that destroy your mental health, physical body, and erode your faith.
It says, “easily besets you,” which translates to occupy and surround. So eliminate those things that occupy, surround, and destroy your vision.
What I focus on in the Souletics Mindset Coach Program is identifying your gifts, talents, and desired outcomes. I then create a roadmap that also helps you navigate the roadblocks and challenges you may face.
Learning How to win is a strategy and not luck; it is a focused effort.
4. Life and Athlete Success Requires That You Not Become A Bitter Person
Achievement is often a difficult road…I myself have experienced so many hardships and heartbreaking moments. For example, I never got a chance to play in the NFL, although my physical measurables like the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, standing broad jump, and other physical gifts were at the elite level. Additionally, I had 17 interceptions while playing Division 1 college football.
When I combine those data points and compare them against our Artificial Intelligence system and NFL evaluation system I can better understand my success.
We use over 40 years of analytical data from NFL players and prospects; During our findings, we were surprised that there are only about 30 guys in a 30 year time period that played defensive back that have my credentials, yet I did not get the opportunity in the NFL.
Lastly, I graduated before my final year of collegiate eligibility, so I was solid in the classroom. I asked myself the question why wouldn’t an NFL team want a player that has graduated, started 44 games in college, was 2nd in interceptions in all of NCAA Div 1. football during my 4 years of playing? I had elite level physical measurables? But I was forced to go another route. Bitterness was a possibility! It would be very easy to become bitter as I have seen many players become during my playing days. Players that do not reach their athletic aspirations are often times destroyed especially when they have done the work. Even when I went through it I felt God had another plan for me.
I was forced to play in the CFL. Every year I speak to NFL coaches and watch the combine, and I am amazed that my numbers are still at the tip of the charts. Given my experience, I could have become bitter, but that would have done more harm.
Here are a few tips to overcome the root of bitterness
Never get bitter…
Looked forward… this helped me as I was able to start enjoying one of my favorite things to do ride motocross and additionally, I started this company Souletics to help all athletes take control of there careers and reach their life and athletic goals.
To be successful in life, you must release yourself from past mistakes, failures, circumstances, past judgments, and obstacles.
Bitterness is a result of desiring change, wanting change, seeing change around you, but never experiencing the change or breakthrough you desire.
Bitterness is a result of wanting something so much, having hope, even having faith at one time, but never seeing the reality of that faith come to pass.
Definition of Bitterness
The dictionary defines as bitter as having or being a taste that is sharp or unpleasant.
It says that to be bitter: is a painful or stinging sensation, harsh, distasteful, difficult to accept, admit, or bear, bitterness results from or expressive of severe grief, anguish, or disappointment.
William Shakespeare said, “Bitterness to me is death.”
Bitterness is a result of inactivity or non-movement. Bitterness is a result of not seeing change.
What Causes Bitterness
So often, we experience unfairness, opposition, conflict, bias, judgment, disagreement, and violence. And too often, while we experience these things, we still choose to stay in these environments. Maybe the job hasn’t worked, but you stay because you have a level of comfort.
But while you have a level of comfort, you know the bathroom is 22 steps away; to the cafeteria are 40 steps to the east and 80 steps south. You still never experience the change of life you desire. And over time, you become bitter.
But the failure occurred when you stayed in a place, relationship, city, or friendship that did not provide what you needed. Bitterness is a result of thinking that provision can only come from one situation, one job, one relationship, one city. Bitterness is a result of a lack of movement.
People become bitter when they feel stagnant when they feel as though things are not progressing; they are not getting better; they are not contributing. You typically don’t find successful business people bitter because too often they are moving, shaking things up, running, and creating what they want. These people are living or attempting to create the life they want.
So to remove bitterness immediately requires one simple action, and that is to take action right now at this moment.
Start school, start researching how to start that business, take a different perspective towards the relationships you have, put your resume out there. Have a little faith in you! Believe that you can have what you want – it just requires you to make a few tweaks here and small changes over time!
We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Be willing to do the task necessary to have the quality of life you desire. Additionally, you must have the mental fortitude and character to withstand life’s unexpectedness and setbacks. Lastly, you must develop the skill to continue on when life tells you no.”
5. Moral courage is something that this world needs
Success in life requires you to have a moral compass; you must have the ability to stand alone, to know who you are and what you stand for. You cannot be easily manipulated and maneuvered to go against your values.
As we continue to face social instability, rumors of wars, terrorism, brutality, racism, systemic oppression, and fear of social expulsion. Many have chosen to remain silent. One of the greatest tragedies of life is not violence, war, or oppression. But those that remain to stay silent, indifferent, and passive in the face of challenges.
A great biblical scripture states, “Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, is with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.
He also said, “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
A big question remains, is someone your friend when they remain silent while you are being harmed. Or better yet when they have an inability to even see the injustices.
He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Negative impact on your mind when you ignore the truth
When a person chooses to be indifferent or ignore reality, it causes further damage to them and those around them. This causes what I like to call a “false reality,” which in turn does not allow true connection in relationship, a closer community, and lastly, a society that has a chance to move forward.
Morality in a world of Chaos and Corruption
Often we say we care; we want to change; we desire peace, joy, and freedom for all. But it seems that it is more common to let someone else fight the battle. We must ask the question:
- Who will fight for justice if I don’t
- Will speak for those who have no voice
- Stand up for the weak
- Believe in justice for all people if I don’t
- And lastly…If I am found in a compromising situation and the result of abuse can I stand in the midst of the fire?
By exercising the moral courage within all of us, we create an environment where all people are inspired to fight for justice at all times for all people. Courage is required to take action when we have doubts or fears about the consequences.
Moral courage, therefore, involves communication within our inner self. Moral courage is taking action while facing our fears, societal criticism, and possible negative reaction. But the result of moral courage is the very thing we benefit from now, the ability for me to write this article, for you to be reading this article, to work, to self-determination, and the freedom of thought. Moral courage is as much a part of our life as the air we breathe.
Fear is a false, negative expectation that has yet to happen. That is not guaranteed to happen and, ultimately, a negative image of our mind. We must stand together for peace, harmony, justice for all, and for all to have freedom of choice.
We Have The Freedom To Choose
The freedom to deal with the consequences and success of our decisions that are the result of moral courage. Be bold, as like a roaring lion. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
6. Don’t Give Up – Wisdom For The Day You Wanted to Quit
Have you ever felt like giving up? I mean giving up on everything, material attachments, even human attachments – all the stuff, the business, the job, the career, the politics, the struggle, and even the victory.
You hear the phrase “don’t give up” but at this point, it means nothing to you. If you’ve ever been there, it’s an incredible place where you feel everything. Somehow it seems like at this point you’ve done all you could and if you haven’t, you’ve come to the conclusion that you’ve done all you want to do.
It’s not as if you somehow hit rock bottom, but you’re tired of running on the treadmill. You’ve seen enough, experienced even more, and benefited from the successes of your hard work.
You understand what it takes to accomplish what you want, and you understand everything that must line up for your remaining dreams to become a reality. But the question still nags at you… what is all this? When you feel like this, it’s a good time to assess your environment.
To make sure that you take a step back and understand all the right things and possible other decisions you’ve made to get you to this point.
Important things to do to assist you in overcoming that difficult moment
- Prayer: It can be as short as five minutes to start. Seek divine wisdom and understanding.
- Releasing negative thoughts: making the conscious decision to drop negative, judgmental thoughts and anxieties daily. Slowly eliminate social media depression.
- Gratitude. Write down all the things you’re grateful for.
- Connect with people in person. Meet people face to face and one on one. 5. Give it to someone. Give your time, a donation, or it could simply be words of encouragement. This is a way to send the world a gift that will ultimately come back to you in some way.
- Grab ahold of hope, and don’t let go! Seasons pass!
7. You As an Athlete Must Believe Without Seeing
Walking by faith and not by sight may not seem to make sense. But in reality, this is the essence of life filled with hope, life, and joy. Often what we see is an illusion, a snapshot of success, absent of the hard work, dedication, and faith it took to create the success we witness.
Faith is taking the first step and continuing to stay on that path without seeing the reward
Increase Your Faith
Commitment takes faith, and faith requires commitment. It’s impossible to do anything without committing to it. Everything I have done in my life had required me to commit, start doing the work when I did not see the result or picture-perfect success.
Why is Faith Important
I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. – Matthew 17:20
The Good in the World – This is Why is Faith Important
As children, we used to see things with such hope and optimism. It wasn’t difficult to have faith. But as we grow, we experience life and disappointments, and hoping for things that appear out of reach can feel childish.
Faith is the thing that keeps you moving towards those things that are good, which causes you to keep going when nothing else will. It is simply to trust in those things you cannot see nor touch, but that you believe will come true. And the opposite of fear, as faith hopes for the best outcome.
Creativity and Innovation Requires Faith – Why is Faith Important
Great athletic feats, great music, art, and outstanding accomplishments are all results of some magnificent dream that someone had to see beyond their current reality. Living by faith is simply not relying on your sight. If people reached for only the things that could see, the world would lack progression and creativity. The fact that people reach for the unseen is why the world is so beautiful.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1
Applying Faith To Your Everyday Life
- Commit to your marriage even though things are not perfect
- Stay faithful hoping to look to the future in spite of the circumstances
- Believe that in life there are seasons…good, bad, sowing seed time
- Commit to excellence rather than circumstance
- Fight the good fight of faith…live a life of faith
8. How To Win In Life When You LACK A NETWORK, PRIVILEGE AND FINANCIAL BACKING
No Friends…No Problem
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase” – Martin Luther King Jr. Truthfully we live in a world where relationships carry weight, money is king, and who you know can be the difference from making it or struggling to fake it.
Privilege is as much a part of society as Aloha is to Hawaii; football is to the U.S., and soccer is to Brazil. You don’t have to look far beyond our political leaders and corporate board rooms to understand that some people get immunity for their indiscretions, others gain special advantages, and some are granted rightful passage before their resume supports the stature.
While this may be a sad fact of life, there have always been exceptions to the rule, and those exceptions have always implemented specific strategies to overcome the obstacles they faced.
A great man Glenn Buckhalter once told me, “You will either live the life you choose and celebrate those choices or live the life circumstances give you.” I like to add to that a bit and say, “You will either live the life you choose and celebrate those choices or live the life circumstances give you… and never experience all that your life has to offer you.”
You see, you have a very good reason to stay in your current situation. Life is tough; it can be oppressive, relentless in its attack, lacking in all empathy and understanding.
But how can we take what we have, adapt, re-program, re-learn a new way, and win? If you choose to stay in the same mindset, taking the same actions absolutely nothing will change. I will provide five keys to changing one’s perspective, which will absolutely change one’s future.
- No Friends – Develop a plan. Develop a list of steps you will need to take to achieve what it is you desire. The desired result could be losing weight. The steps you might take would include exercising 20 minutes a day, eating more leafy greens, increasing your water intake, and getting proper rest.
- No Friends – Develop a positive daily routine. The daily routine is what you MUST do daily in order to achieve your desired result. Example: I will prepare all my meals in the morning. I will walk every day at noon. I will go to bed no later than 11 pm.
- No Friends – Be determined. Be solid in your decision to take action on what you want. Don’t quit, don’t let others talk you out of it. Be steadfast in your GOAL, daily routine, and belief you have what it takes to accomplish what you want.
- No Friends – Ignore the critics. Critics are those close to you, those who have an opinion to deter you, those that hate to see your progress, or those that have a better option but are unwilling to walk you through that alternative option. The only person that knows what you have inside you is YOU and God. If people are unwilling to support you in your POSITIVE endeavors, they are probably unqualified to give you input.
- No Friends – Believe that you can create what it is you desire. Belief is the key…If you don’t believe it is highly unlikely that anyone else will. Believe that you have what it takes.
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right” – Henry Ford
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9. Overcome Obstacles: How to win in life, achieve your goals in spite of negative circumstances
An obstacle is a roadblock that inhibits one’s way or prevents or hinders progress. If you do not address your obstacles head-on, you will fail to progress or have the life you truly want. Let me let you in on a secret: Just the fact that you are living right now, breathing this moment, and have the ability to take action right now is all you need to overcome your obstacles.
Overcoming Obstacles Regardless of Your Situation
You see, all of us have experienced challenges, setbacks, obstacles, tragedy, heartache, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and much more. Surely you have already overcome something just to be here reading this text right now. You have met a challenge, and you have overcome an obstacle.
Acknowledge your win, and celebrate your triumphant victory. You see, many times we don’t see ourselves properly, we don’t acknowledge our victories and conquests. We don’t give ourselves enough credit for the tenacity and determination we have consistently applied to keep moving through all of life’s circumstances. There are few incredible passages from the bible that state:
- You are more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)
- You were not given a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
- You are unique: before you were formed, you were known (Jeremiah 1:5), and you were wonderfully made despite those circumstances that may have brought us to this world. (Psalm 139:14)
You are your best example to overcome your obstacles because you have exhibited victory over and over during your life. You were uniquely created to overcome all the challenges and obstacles you face.
No one else was made for the specific challenges you have and will encounter. And if, by any chance, you might be struggling against your very first obstacle in life, let this be an opportunity for you to know that you were created as a conqueror, lacking fear, with infinite power, love, and a sound mind.
And knowing these truths, you can be confident that you will triumph, and this will be the example you look to as you face future obstacles in your life.
Gratitude, Strength, Peace, Faith & Fortitude,
Tell yourself I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a result of my decisions.
10. Never Forget
When you start to experience success never forget the process. Don’t allow the rewards of success to make you soft, and unable to overcome difficult situations. The rewards of success can often give people short term memory. Always be willing to do the work, get on your knees, and stay humble.
Great Books About How To Win In Life on Amazon
What does it mean to win at life?
Winning at life means that you have defined the terms for success and you are succeeding or progressing towards your desired results. It may or may not include large amounts of money but more specifically includes peace, harmony, and contentment.
Is life all about winning?
Yes, life is about learning, growing, and becoming a better person. So if this is your definition of winning, then life is about winning.
What is a true winner?
A true winner is a person that can get when they fall down, persevere through difficult obstacles and continue to work and progress for what they desire.
What are the characteristics of a winner?
Resiliency Perseverance Awareness Discipline Emotional Intelligence Passion Grit
How do you set yourself up to win?
1. Develop a plan 2. Identify actions that will help you follow the plan 3. Do those actions daily for a long period of time 4. Don't quit 5. Have Faith
Is life a game?
No life is not a game. Life has a real impact on your day to day experience. In a game, you can walk away from it and detach yourself from it without consequences. Every decision in life will result in a positive or negative outcome which will impact yourself or others.