SportPerformanceU
  • ABOUT
    • OUR COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
    • STAFF
    • FACILITY
    • NOTABLE ALUMNI
    • FAQ
    • ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
  • PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS
    • ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
    • YOUTH PROGRAMS
    • TEAM PERFORMANCE
    • Adult Personal Training
    • SPEED TRAINING
    • SPORT NUTRITION
    • CORPORATE FITNESS
  • SPORT ACADEMIES
    • DRAYSON QUARTERBACK ACADEMY
  • PHYSICAL THERAPY
  • INTERACT
    • CONTACT
    • ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE BLOG
    • FOOTBALL BLOG
    • RECORD BOARD CLUBS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • Merchandise
  • REGISTER
    • ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
    • CAMPS AND CLINICS

ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE BLOG

What Can Winston Churchill Teach Us About Success?

1/26/2015

0 Comments

 
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill said the above quote during World War II, imploring his nation in a time of crisis and impending doom to continue to push forward. With so much riding on his every word, he chose to drive home a point of perseverance and resilience, against both complacency from success and depression from failures. This is a point we can very well apply in sports, training, and our own lives.

The phrase I tend to use with my own athletes is "the only step that matters is the next one." Every day, we will face obstacles. A teammate will get injured, a play will go wrong, we won't achieve a milestone we had set. We can't allow that to stop us from pushing ourselves to reach our goals. No matter how long it takes, how hard it gets, how large the obstacles loom, all we can do is work as hard as we can to attain what matters.

In the same vein, we can't allow success to prevent our hard work either. When you win a game, achieve a goal, and perform at your best, it becomes easy to get complacent. After you win, you have to get focused on the next game to win. Many achieve temporary success, fewer repeat it, and even fewer sustain it. To be one of those few who sustains success, you must stay focused on the task at hand, after both wins and losses.

The fact of the matter is that neither success or failure are permanent human conditions. We have the ability to go from one to other quite easily. We don't achieve success and then inherently keep it forever, same as we don't fail and find ourselves with no opportunity to succeed in the future. Being a successful person, therefore, isn't a talent or given status, but rather a habit and lifestyle. Those who continue to push forwards, regardless of past outcomes, positive or negative, are the ones that will begin or continue to achieve success. 

This carries weight in all facets of our lives. Take nutrition, for instance - an unhealthy, obese person can improve their diet and get healthy. A healthy person who has eaten well for years can fall off the wagon and become obese. It is not past successes or failures that predict the future; it is the actions you take today.

Training is very much the same - someone who is very weak can work out and get strong. Someone who is strong can get lazy and become weak. Again, past success and failure in training regimen doesn't predict tomorrow, but the steps you take today do.

Football teams follow in suit. A team that has been losing for years can commit to better habits and processes, improve, and win championships. A team that has been at the top of the league for years can easily get complacent and fall down the ranks. They lacked the commitment to success to sustain it any further. Only your current actions can create future success.

And most importantly, in our real lives, the tenant remains true. Not to get overly philosophical, but we possess the gift of free will. We can have good habits or bad habits, good attitudes or bad attitudes. And, we have the ability to trade one for the other. Feeling that you haven't achieved professionally what you've wanted to doesn't stop you from working towards that end today, and getting there tomorrow. And, just because you have achieved success to this point doesn't mean you will keep it. All you can do is focus on the step right in front you.

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts."

Alex Drayson
0 Comments

    Archives

    January 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    ACL Injuries
    Aerobic
    Anaerobic
    Biomechanical Analysis
    Carbohydrates
    Coaching
    Core Training
    Deadlift
    Dynamic Warm Up
    Endurance Training
    Energy Systems
    Hip Hinge
    Injuries
    Injury Prevention
    Medicine Ball
    Mobility & Stability
    Mobility & Stability Development
    Motivation
    Overuse Injuries
    Personal Training
    Physical Activity
    Power Training
    Programming
    Single Leg Training
    Speed Development
    Speed Drills
    Speed Training
    Speed Training
    Sport Conditioning
    Sport Nutrition
    Sport Performance
    Sport Psychology
    Sport Specific Training
    Squatting
    Strength Training
    Swimming
    Training
    Weight Gaining
    Youth Movement

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • ABOUT
    • OUR COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
    • STAFF
    • FACILITY
    • NOTABLE ALUMNI
    • FAQ
    • ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
  • PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS
    • ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
    • YOUTH PROGRAMS
    • TEAM PERFORMANCE
    • Adult Personal Training
    • SPEED TRAINING
    • SPORT NUTRITION
    • CORPORATE FITNESS
  • SPORT ACADEMIES
    • DRAYSON QUARTERBACK ACADEMY
  • PHYSICAL THERAPY
  • INTERACT
    • CONTACT
    • ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE BLOG
    • FOOTBALL BLOG
    • RECORD BOARD CLUBS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • Merchandise
  • REGISTER
    • ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
    • CAMPS AND CLINICS