With the Summer Olympics in full swing in London, we all get a chance to celebrate the best goal-setting stories from sports.

I love watching the personal interest pieces on the athletes. I’m inspired by the struggles they overcame, to play on the world’s largest stage.

Most of them are masters at goal setting and performance.

Let’s see what we can apply to winning our life’s game.

     1. Be completely committed to the “next step.”

Most athletes dream of playing at the highest level, while staying completely focused on the very next step. When we do what is before us, we find that the road keeps going higher and higher.

Stop paralyzing your plans by focusing too many steps ahead. Just do the next thing.

     2. Visualize yourself performing flawlessly

In 1964 Dr. Maxwell Maltz published Psycho-cybernetics with the the ideas of

a. The Theater of the Mind and

b. Mental Rehearsal

It’s vital that you go into that movie theater of your imagination and see yourself living out your desired outcome. The more clearly you can see yourself succeeding, the faster success comes.

Remember this is all about becoming the kind of person that succeeds in the areas you want to thrive.

“You have to be before you can do, and you have to do before you can have.” Zig Ziglar

  Practice seeing yourself being and doing and having.

Then mentally rehearse your actions as well.

That’s two different exercises – seeing yourself from the outside, and then feeling as if you are actually there living it out.  This works whether you are talking about delivering a sales presentation, playing a round of golf, or finishing that project that is overdue.

Whatever it is you desire, visualize it clearly for at least 20 minutes a day. Remember to focus on those things within your control.

     3. Adjust and continue

No body creates success without setbacks. However if you view each step as feedback for improvement, than you never fail. The point is to stay as relaxed as possible as you objectively improve your performance.

     4. Have fun

Initially, athletes pursue their sport because of the pleasure it brings them. It’s very easy, however to lose the joy and replace it with stress. For the very best performance, it’s vital to focus on what you love about your game. Love drives out fear and stress. Love stays in the moment.

Whenever you feel stress overtaking the joy of your daily life, stop and reconnect with your values. Breathe deeply and look with gratitude at the best things going for you. You can’t choose everything in life, but you can choose what you focus on, and the meaning you give to it.

Focus on the highest and best in your self, in your situation and in those around you. Then you’ll celebrate the victory no matter what.