What It Takes To Be A Champion

Every day I get dozens of questions from my clients – from my elite athletes to my recreational exercisers. And their questions usually revolve around “the food” – the “what to eat”, “when to eat”, and “how much to eat.”

Of course, this is my primary area of expertise. And I’m always happy to answer these questions.

Yet once they’re answered, I always find myself taking the conversation in another direction. I always find myself taking about mindset. Specifically the mindset of a champion.

What I Mean By The Word Champion
Now, I want to be clear on something. The word “champion” conjures up all sorts of images.

• A 100m runner raising his hand in victory as he crosses the finish line at the Olympic Games.
• A NFL coach being doused by a Gatorade bucket during the waning moments of the Super Bowl.
• A league MVP drinking champagne out of the Stanley Cup.

Unfortunately, for most of us, our “champion” references end here.

Sure, there’s something exhilarating about watching sports champions lay it all on the line and earn their place in history. In fact, for me, it’s so exhilarating that I’ve made a career out of helping those very athletes be their best.

Yet it’s important to remember that there are other champions among us. Other folks who’ve overcome big personal obstacles and end up on top.

Those folks who beat down addictions. Those folks who overcome a lifetime of abuse. Those folks who build a successful business. Those folks who set big physique goals and achieve them. Those folks who set their sights on something and go out and get it no matter what.

The Mindset Experts
One thing that’s always fascinated me about all champions, no matter what adversity they’ve overcome, no matter what big goal they achieved, is their mindset. More specifically, I wondered what set them apart from the other folks who never accomplished big goals, who routinely accept less than their best.

Interestingly, in the last few months I was put in touch with a company that specializes in this area. And I’m not talking about “motivational speakers,” “self-help gurus,” and the like. I’m talking about a company that’s collected personality data on over 3 MILLION people since the 1970’s. A company that’s run a few thousand different analyses on these data. A company that, in the end, has come up with a set of assessments that can be used to determine a person’s personality type, mindset, motivations, and more.

So, overpowered by curiosity, I took their assessment.

It took me two hours.

And a few days later one of their specialists called me to discuss my results.

Interestingly, this guy also called and talked to 2 of my friends and business partners about the results. And amazingly, all 3 of us agreed that this assessment was 100% bang on. From a 2 hour test, having never met me, this guy told me all about myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, my aptitudes, and more. I was blown away.

Of course, I shouldn’t have been. This assessment is used to hire corporate directors at Fortune 500 companies. This assessment is used to build corporate strategy teams perfectly suited to work together on tough projects. And this assessment is used by NFL, NBA, and NHL teams as another way to screen potential draft picks.

The 3 Qualities of A Champion
I know, you want to know more about this assessment. Well, I’ll probably spill the beans on that at a later date. However, for now, you’ll have to be content learning about one of the more interesting findings derived from their research.

You see, according to their data, there are 3 specific qualities necessary for high achievement. Whether you’re an athlete. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 CEO. Whether you’re trying to lose 20, 50, 100lbs. Whether you’re trying to add 50, 100, 150lbs to your bench press. Whether you’re trying to beat an addiction. Or whether you’re just trying to live life on your own terms. There are 3 qualities required to be a champion. And here they are:

Quality #1
A Positive Self-Image

Quality #2
Competitiveness

Quality #3
Discipline

According to this company’s data, with strong assessment scores in each of these categories, individuals have an 87% chance of succeeding at a goal they’re highly motivated to accomplish. Without high scores on all 3 of these, their chances drop off dramatically.

Growing These Qualities
Knowing that these qualities above are necessary for success, there are two things you can do to accomplish any successful outcome.

The first is to work on each of these qualities yourself. Develop them. Improve in these three areas. And while doing so, get to applying them toward your goals.

And the second is to surround yourself with others who have strengths where your weaknesses lie. Use the team approach to get to the top.

Truth be told, I’ve personally always used a combination of the two approaches. I’ve worked on these qualities while surrounding myself with those strong in my areas of weakness. In fact, in talking to all the successful folks I know, they’ve all done it the same way.

So this is why I’m always harping on social support!

In my opinion, social support is the fertilizer that helps to grow a positive self-image, a strong sense of competition, and an iron-clad discipline.

By surrounding yourself with achievement oriented individuals who are after the same goals as you, there’s no question you’re going to get better. And not only that, you’re going to get inspired. And even on those days when inspiration is hard to find, you’re going to be pulled along by your support circle.

Find Out How You Stack Up
If you’re curious about how you’d score on such a test, check out this link.  We’re now offering a special Precision Nutrition Psychometric Profile Test that can show you where you’re strong and where you need improvement in your quest to be happier and healthier.