PEAK PERFORMANCE: The story of Lance Armstrong has been an amazing one. How can you not be
impressed with the challenges he's overcome? His mental attitude and innate competitiveness present an inspiring example.
There is documentation of how his body is somewhat of an anomaly: being able to efficiently process fuel, in the muscles, 3-5% more efficiently than the pro riding next to him and 8% better than the average fit man allows him to perform better on the same amount of carbs. It makes me wonder about the chicken and the egg dilemma: which came first? Everything I have read has suggested, he was born with these advantages, but I wonder if someone so good at the mental intention side couldn't have kept visualizing until his body mirrored his picture of perfect fitness.
Either way, it's something to think about:
If it is inherent strengths that he was born with, it certainly shows the power of knowing what strengths you have and leveraging them (something I've been advocating with my clients for years!). Those who acknowledge and use the core values and natural gifts that are unique to them seem to just attract success.
If his clear vision, intentions and work created the changes his body need to excel at his chosen sport, it is a powerful reminder that we have more power over what happens within our bodies than we think.
RELAXATION: To be in top form, full of energy and focus, athletes take days off from training because their muscles can not be most effective without the recovery time. Unfortunately, many agents I meet are trying so hard to excel, they do not plan for recovery time.
Studies have found that when you work in excess of 40 hours a week, your effectiveness begins to wane. Overworking can knock your ability to focus and make good decisions down to 50%-60% of your potential.
COACHES CHALLENGE:
- What natural strengths do you have? Make a list of them and then think about how you can leverage them more fully.
- Create a mental picture of what it is you really want. See it happening. Create an affirmation that you will use for the next 30 days to support your dream and intention. Write it on 4-5 stickies and post by your computer, on your bathroom mirror, car visor, etc. Read it out loud 3 times in the morning and 3 times before you go to bed.
- Watch for synchronicities.
- Do you have at least one 24 hour period of relaxation/play time on next week's calendar? If not, make it a habit to block and schedule it every week.
| The photo file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. In short: you are free to share and make derivative works of the file under the conditions that you appropriately attribute it, and that you distribute it only under a license identical to this one. Official license
العربية | Български | Català | Deutsch | Ελληνικά | English | Esperanto | Español | فارسی | Suomi | Français | עברית | Magyar | Italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | Македонски | Nederlands | Plattdüütsch | Polski | Português | Русский | Svenska | Tiếng Việt | Українська | 中文 | 中文(简体) | 中文(繁體) | +/- |
![]()

Relaxation, the very reason I'm going backpacking for 3 days next weekend.
Nothing like lying in a hammock out in the woods watching the clouds drift by overhead.
You are a very smart man...but then I KNEW that!!!!
Joeann,
I was thrilled to hear that Lance Armstrong will be riding again competitively again in the Tour. Thanks for blogging.
Mike in Tucson
I'm guilty !
I need to take more breaks, thansk for the reminder
Mike
Thanks for coming by!
Don't you LOVE our 80 degree weather???
Fernando
Then I hope you put it on the calendar!!!!
Now I can truly justify my "brain breaks". Thanks for the great advice.
Hi Cathey! Absolutely!
Stephen Covey, in his 7 Habits, speaks wisely of sharpening the saw. Our minds and bodies are our saw and an occasional and full rest is the sharpening process. Absolutely criticalshadblow
Good advice, need more 'off' time to recover and regenerate.
that is very good to remember. I have a very difficult time not working...thanks.
It is so hard to take the time off. Even if I schedule the time, something seems to come up that has to be handled, and then there went the relaxation. You offer good advice and something to ponder related to inherent strengths.
Mental balance is the key to this whole process. You need to do this.
Mike, Dana, Stuart, Lyn & Ron,
It IS hard to put yourself first, sometimes, but it is EXACTLY how you can be the best that you can be. Thanks for coming by and commenting. That tells me you are one of the special people who is actively working on upgrading yourself!!! That's very Cool.
Hugs, Love & Smiles,
Joeann. Great advice. We abuse our bodies and we also neglect our strengths. I will take a day off on Memorial day. This Blog convinced me. Then I will work on my focusing on my strengths. Thanks.
Gfreat advice -- especially about visuializing and writing the affirmations! And I'm gettingbetter about taking a block of time rather than bunches of little breakd. nice post - thanks.