7 Lessons Midlife Women Can Take From Olympians
Did you enjoy the Olympics?
I sure did – I find them motivating, especially because I always seem to find so many lessons in their journey to become an Olympian that apply to women in midlife as well – women who are in pursuit of their best physical, mental, and emotional self.
I hope these 7 Lessons help motivate you to keep pressing on, especially when you encounter the inevitable setbacks along the way.
Take to heart these 7 Lessons to help you run your own race like an Olympian would (no pun intended).
Lesson #1: Have a vision of what you want to achieve
For years, Olympians hope and dream to return home to their country with a medal.
For daily motivation, I imagine some might have a vision board they look at every morning that inspires them to train hard and put forth their best effort that day.
Your journey is no different.
Some of my clients create a vision board to inspire and motivate them every day.
Some of the items on it might include retirement, traveling, spending time with their family, creating new memories, learning a new language, developing a new hobby, and so on.
You probably know what everyone else in your life wants, but do you know what YOU want?
Think about yourself for a moment…
What would be on YOUR vision board?
Lesson #2: You don’t get there overnight
To have the opportunity to compete at the Olympic level, it’s silly to expect to get there overnight.
When I was watching the personal stories of how some of the Olympians “got there,” I saw home videos of them on skates or snowboards at a very early age.
It didn’t take days or months to get to that level; it took years.
I don’t say this to discourage you – “Oh, great. It’s going to take years for me to get to my goals.”
No, because your health and self-care goals are much different than an Olympian’s; however, it takes the same mindset – a long-term one.
Few successes come overnight – are you willing to be the tortoise and not the hare?
Can you begin to take on this mantra: “Slow and steady wins the race”?
Lesson #3: You have more in you than you think
One of the reasons I love coaching women in midlife is because of the life experience they have.
They’ve already been through many ups and downs of life, from building a career to raising a family and everything in between.
I help them take that wisdom, experience, and maturity that they earned in the first half of their life and use it to create a healthy and happy second half of life.
Instead of constantly dwelling on how far you still have to go, how about remembering how far you’ve already come and the obstacles and challenges you’ve overcome in your life already?
How can you take that earned wisdom, experience, and maturity to meet your current challenges head-on?
Lesson #4: Even if you encounter a huge setback, it isn’t over
I was especially inspired by half pipe snowboarder Shaun White’s performance.
Just this past October, he encountered a nasty fall while training that resulted in 62 stitches in his forehead.
Many weren’t sure that he’d be ready and able to compete in the Winter Olympics.
Little did they know that not only would he be competing in the Winter Olympic Games, but he’d take home the gold.
This teaches us that setbacks (even really big ones), don’t mean you’re not coming back – at least, not necessarily.
HOW you confront setbacks is going to be a big factor in developing resilience.
Shaun could’ve thrown in the towel and said, “I guess the Winter Olympics weren’t meant to be this year.”
But he didn’t – he didn’t come this far to only come this far.
Got healthy enough to compete and won the gold – WOW.
If you’re dealing with a setback right now, can you change your perspective?
Can you use it as a learning and growing experience?
Will you see it as a complete failure or simply a speed bump?
Lesson #5: It’s worth it
The question I ask myself from time to time is, “What is my greatest fear?”
The answer is always the same – to die with regret.
“Regret of what?” you might be wondering – regret that I didn’t pursue my highest and best self.
Knowing that it would be hard, regret that I never tried and never got to see what I was really made of.
Look, the pursuit of your best self isn’t easy – it’s really hard, but I truly believe it’s worth it.
I trust that Olympic athletes who train for years and compete in the Games, perhaps even more than once, and never earn a medal, in the end don’t regret trying.
At least I’ve never heard any of them say, “I wish I didn’t even try.”
Many you see back next time trying again.
That’s how I hope you choose to view your one precious life – to try, to pursue becoming the best you can be – not necessarily for the “medal” in the end, but because you believe WHO you become in the process of your journey, through the ups and downs, in the end is worth it.
What Olympians learn from years of training is discipline, resilience, confidence, and so much more – rich and invaluable life lessons.
You can too, on your own journey, but realize it’s a choice.
You have to choose the hard and lean in to the difficult, in order to become your best self.
I believe the pursuit for your highest and best self, although hard, is worth it; do you?
Lesson #6: Be grateful to have the opportunity
I believe that something that we just can’t practice enough is gratitude.
Chances are, you have two arms, two legs, and are fairly healthy with a heart that beats, lungs that allow you to breathe, and eyes that see (although maybe not as well as they used to!) – still, many reasons to be grateful.
While I was watching the pair figure skating competition one night, there were a few pairs who fell a few times or were off-sync with each other while spinning.
They knew their performance wouldn’t earn them a gold, or maybe even a medal at all, but when they finished, they had the biggest smiles on their faces and embraced each other as if it was the best day of their life.
These pairs looked so grateful to even be on an Olympic stage, showcasing their work, even if it wasn’t “perfect.”
I’m sure they believed there’s more work to do when they get home in order to compete with the few at the top, but for now, they were grateful simply for the opportunity.
I believe it’s important to remember that you are more “well off” in many ways than most women in the world, whether it has to do with access to healthcare, employment, or just general opportunity.
If the millions of women in third world countries had the opportunities you have, how would they use it?
What might counting your blessings (all the things you have) motivate you to do with it all?
Lesson #7: Ask for help
I’m not a gambler, but I would bet that every single athlete who competed in the Winter Olympics had a coach – someone they hired to walk beside them to help them become the best they could be.
Olympians know that in order to get to that level – to perform at their highest level, they need a coach.
This reminded me of us women.
I believe we can do a better job asking for help.
The journey toward becoming your best physical, mental, and emotional self is hard.
It can be a lonely path filled with confusion, disappointment, and frustration.
That’s where I step in as a coach for women in midlife – to help you navigate the process, keep you motivated and inspired, and hold you accountable to following through on your commitments to becoming your best self.
Just like an Olympic coach waits at the rink or field or court for you to show up, that’s what I do for my clients.
And those who show up consistently and willing to accept the mantra “slow and steady wins the race” are those who do – win the race, their race to their healthiest and best self.
Is it time you stop trying to do it on your own and finally ask for help?
If so, you know where to find me.
I hope these 7 Lessons have inspired and motivated you to keep going, to maintain hope, and trust that in the end, it’s all worth it.
If so, in the comments section below, please tell me which one lesson resonated with you the most.
I can’t wait to hear.
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