CHAMPIONS MAKE WINNING CHOICES

My new book, Hidden Talent, is all about uncovering what really makes a champion a champion. And let’s be honest…we all want to be champions in the important areas of life, and we all want our kids to be champions, too, because champions win. That’s easy to see. But if you’re willing to dig deeper, you’ll find that champions aren’t who they are because they win. In fact, actually, just the opposite is true. Champions win because of who they are.

Hall of Fame football coach Bill Walsh said, “Champions behave like champions before they are champions.” That means beyond just what you see on the surface – the victories, the trophies, and the headlines – you’ll find that champions, in any area of life, have sown certain traits, attributes, and abilities into their being first, and then reaped the harvest of those traits, attributes, and abilities in the winner’s circle after. The same is true for you. You aren't a champion because you win; you win because you've done the hard work it takes to become a champion. That’s the way it works for your child, too.

In truth, there’s a lot that those people we call champions can teach us – and, if we’re intentional about it, a lot they can teach our kids, as well – about what really separates the very best from everyone else. Of course, some successful people have been given abilities the rest of us haven't. That’s a fair and reasonable conclusion to come to. At the same time, if you’re willing to dig deeper, you’ll find that in many ways, each one of us is capable of doing many of the things that champions do. When we're intentional about behaving like winners, we help ourselves become winners.

Take, for instance, the unique and powerful ability each of us have to make choices each day, something many people unwittingly overlook or take for granted. The truth is, we get to decide today who we’re going to be and what we’re going to do, and champions are who they are in large part because of the winning decisions they’ve chosen to make. Here’s an excerpt from chapter two of Hidden Talent, titled “Champions Make Winning Choices,” that clarifies the daily decisions that set champions apart:

“In a world where it’s easy to dwell on all that exists beyond our control, as a champion you see clearly just how many important choices you do get to make. You get to decide if you’ll take winning action today. You decide if you’ll value what’s really important. You decide how much heart goes into your work. You decide your level of effort. You decide your response to challenge or adversity. You decide to seek improvement. You decide to get coached. You decide how you’ll treat others. You decide whether you’ll go all-in on competing to win. You decide your attitude. Each one of those choices is critical to your becoming a champion, and no one else gets to make those choices but you.”

I’m writing, as I do here each week, to challenge and encourage you to help your child become their champion self. But I also want you to see clearly today that helping your child become their very best starts with you working to become your very best. It's hard to teach, train, and develop someone else in areas you don't possess yourself. I hope that by recognizing just how many important choices the champion makes, it clarifies how many important choices you are responsible for making every day.

When it comes to the choices you've got in front of you today, do what champions do. Choose today to put your whole heart into your work. Choose to give your very best. Choose a winning response to challenge and adversity. Choose to seek out opportunities for growth and improvement. Choose to get coached and to be a great teammate. Choose to really, truly compete wherever you are, and choose to do it all with a great attitude. No one else gets to make those decisions today but you. When you do what champions do, you separate yourself from those around you, and you put yourself in the best position to win. Not only that, you also model for your child what a champion looks like, and help teach them what it takes to become one for themselves.