I have been asked several times, “What is the secret to being a champion?” People want to know what I did, how I trained and what knowledge I learned to help me achieve success. I think most are looking for “the magic” or “the secret” and if obtained they too can achieve. The answer however is surprisingly simple and does not involve magic or secrets: You simply make the choice that you will be a champion, that you will achieve your goal.
I think we have it backwards in our society today. We look at those who have won and achieved success and think all I have to do is win, then I will somehow unlock all the intangibles, secrets and understandings that we perceive the champion as having.
I believe to be a champion (or achieve your goal) you first have to have all the qualities of a winner. You must believe you are a winner, something you know to be the case all the way to your core. So a champion has all the qualities they need to win first, then happen to win when the opportunity shows up. So here is where it’s at, here is where the magic is……by you making the choice to practice, gain knowledge and work hard you will put yourself in the position to be great and ultimately be capable of achieving your goal. Some people call it luck; I define luck differently. Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.
Additionally people tend to put way too much focus on the “goal” or “the end of the journey”. Life happens on the journey itself, its going on while you are working towards the goal. When all your hard work pays off and you win, the moment is fleeting, over in a second. All the hours/days/months/years spent practicing, studying, and hard work put in to achieve is where you live your life. So love what you do, enjoy the process and make the choices that will help you take full advantage of the opportunities which are presented. Winning will then basically take care of itself…..
So if you want to be extraordinary, do something great!
– Steve Haas
