Since launching my Kitbag of Tools, a series of fortnightly resources that you can sign up to here, I have been overwhelmed with the response from my readers. Thank you for sharing with me your stories of personal development. Seeing others progress on a journey of self-improvement always inspires me to reflect on my own journey.
It is no secret that I consider my sporting experiences as a key influence on my coaching style. I believe that the lessons we learn in sports can be transformational to us all in other areas of our lives. I would like to share three lessons that we can take from the sporting world, and discuss how we can use them to drive progress in our development journeys.
Lesson #1: Preparation
Whatever sport you are playing, the first step is always a warm-up. Warming up your body prepares you for the activity ahead and prevents you from getting injured. Whether your warm-up consists of cardio, dynamic movement, static stretches or a combination of the three, warming up is essential for your mind and body.
When we are facing a challenge outside the sporting world, structured preparation provides a foundation for us to build our aspirations on. From reflection to goal setting, our preparation methods can vary but preparing our mind and body for the challenges ahead can be the difference between achieving our goals and feeling a sense of failure.
What are you preparing for? Are you aiming for a promotion in your career, or trying to overcome a negative experience? Regardless of the nature of the challenge, introducing a framework of preparation will give you the best start on your journey. In my fortnightly digital resources, I share practice exercises that can serve as preparation for a wide range of challenges. Sign up here to try them out.
Lesson #2: Respect
Gitchin Funakoski , the father of modern day karate, once said “Martial Arts begins and ends with respect”. When we enter the dojo, we bow as a sign of respect and gratitude. This respect extends from ourselves, to those in the dojo with us as well as everyone that came before us.
This expression of respect signifies that we are ready to learn from our environment. Mutual respect is crucial when working with a partner in the dojo. This high-pressure dynamic is one where conflicts inevitably arise in the heat of the moment. However, the respect established in the dojo allows for constructive conflict resolution to take place. This is certainly a lesson to transfer over to the workplace, where communication and a commitment to understanding can lay the groundwork for effective conflict resolution.
Lesson #3: Self-belief
One of my favourite things about sport is that people trying a sport for the very first time and elite athletes at the top of their game are united in a shared goal, namely improving their skills. At every level of a sport, athletes face challenges that they need to overcome.
With these challenges often comes self-doubt. It can be disheartening to struggle, and this can have a detrimental impact on our sense of self.
Accessing the services of a life coach or executive coach can help us find a new language for self-talk to turn self-doubt into self-esteem.
I worked with a client a few years ago who was facing some serious health challenges. These challenges had a significant impact on his self-esteem and were proving harmful to his mental wellbeing. I worked with him over a number of months to help him find techniques and tools to work through his challenges, and eventually he managed to grow his self-belief and confidence to such an extent that his doctors were stunned by his transformation.
While reflecting on the experience, it reminded me of the occasions in my cricketing career where the coaching staff would help me overcome my sporting challenges by equipping me with the tools I needed to succeed. To me, a coach’s role is always to guide their client to change their own life, by helping them to unlock their own potential. The client described it as if I’d given him a “secret key to unlocking a new world”.
Key Takeaways
There are many more lessons that sport can teach us, so please do let me know if you would be interested in part two of this post. In the meantime, make sure you are signed up to my free digital resources to receive a kitbag of tools each fortnight that will help you unlock your potential.