Winning

Winning. It's a recipe. We all want to get there but very few ever do. Desire is one thing, but that desire, that wish, needs to be backed up by work.

There's very few people who are gifted with an innate ability. Whether it be superior intellectual or physical performance these are the few, not the many. So the rest of us have to work at it. And when it comes down to innate physical superiority, the hard reality is that even with an innate edge, you still need to work to maximise your performance.

A relentless desire to keep going and drive a performance even when things don't go your way, or to plan. Injury, a tough lane draw, a last minute change to your team, a new coach, a poor performance. All of these things have the capacity to unsettle. To leave you feeling rattled and emotionally unable to focus on what truly matters.

It's at times like this you need to focus on what you can control. Not what you can't. It's how people react in times like this that separates the best from the rest.

The best performers know how to zoom out. To look at the situation pragmatically. Not emotionally. They focus on what they can control and ensure that they do everything in their power to deliver the task at hand. For most of us this isn't easy. Humans by our very nature are emotional beings so this calculated approach can be challenging. But this is what you need to train yourself to do.

When you step out to put down your best performance, leave your emotions at home. Today, you choose to be a machine. With complete focus, calm and utter determination. Save the emotion for when you cross the finish line.