Habits often have a bad reputation

…but some habits can be helpful and healthy. Stop and think about your talents for a moment.

Like mine right now is “I am officially on vacation for 2 weeks!” and believe me this is a habit that I am not a Champion at.

What are you not doing that would help you enjoy your Champion talents more, get more done or be more effective?

It might be a practice that worked well for you in the past but that you stopped doing for some reason…or it could be a new activity that you’d like to try. It’s possible to turn helpful or healthy practices into new habits….and actually stick!

Here’s a step by step guide:

1. Identify a practice that you’d like to become an automatic part of your life.
Perhaps you want to spend regular time honing your craft. Maybe you want to complete a particular amount of creative work each week. Or meditate regularly. Participate in a regular weekly gym, aerobic, yoga or pilates classes. Complete an open water/marathon swim or an ironman or Olympic distance triathlon. What practices would you like to turn into habits? Select one of these habits as your target habit. (It’s helpful to focus on one at a time).

2. Be specific and concrete.
Instead of saying ’swim more’, ‘eat less’, ’smoke less’, run/gym more’; identify exactly how much you want to swim/eat/smoke/gym/run/bike. “I want to swim one workout a day, at least three days a week, every week.” OR “I want to spend at least an hour a day writing/planning/preparing/ at least three days a week, every week.” The more specific the practice, the likelier it will become a habit.

3. Ask yourself: why?
Identify the benefits of starting this habit. For example, if I practice my piano/guitar at least an hour a day, I’ll become a better musician; I’ll increase my repertoire; I’ll do better in auditions; I’ll feel so much better. If I participate in gym/yoga/swim workouts at least an hour a day, I’ll become a better husband/wife, increase my fitness levels, decrease my stress levels, increase my productivity in my work day, be a better person to live with and increase desire to eat healthier foods.

Write down as many reasons as possible to start your new habits and practices and keep them handy. Review your list at least daily.

4. Breakdown your intended habit into reasonable, bite-size douable baby steps.
If your target habit is to compose a new song every day, for example, then you might begin the process by committing to write a song a week (assuming that sounds realistic for you). After that becomes second nature, aim for two songs a week. When, eventually, that practice seems like old hat, go for three a week…until eventually you are writing a song every day.

5. Start small.
Your beginning practice should be so easy it’s laughable. Guarantee your success. Returning to the last example, if writing a song a week is easy as pie, that’s a great place to start. If, however, the notion of writing a song a week puts you in a sweat, then choose something smaller and easier. Aim for a viable chorus or verse instead. Still shaking? Aim for a musical idea or a cool phrase that might become a lyric someday.

Rest assured, wherever you start is fine. AVOID JUDGING yourself or being too hard on yourself. Pick a practice that’s really, truly easy.

For example, let’s say your target habit is to paint for at least an hour a day. You might start with the practice of painting for at least five minutes a day, at least four days a week. “Five minutes? I can’t get anything done in five minutes,” you are apt to wail. Yes you can. You can gesso a canvas. You can sketch out a figure. You can apply paint.
“But five minutes a day isn’t going to accomplish anything!” You’d be surprised what you can get done in five focused, undistracted minutes, dedicated to a specific task.

Another example, let’s say your goal is to swim the English Channel or a solo Rottnest Channel Swim or completing a triathlon. And you are not a competent swimmer … that is you were not in a squad/club/collegiate team at school then you might start by getting stroke correction with a coach and then practice swimming for at least ten minutes a day, at least four days a week. Fifteen minutes? Once again you may think you can’t get anything done in ten minutes. You will be surprised how much your brain will hurt from focusing on a particular stroke drill. Yes you can achieve a lot in just ten minutes.

The truth is, if you aim for minutes, you may well do more. What matters is that you do AT LEAST five/ten minutes, at least four times a week.

Let me repeat that: The important thing here is to ESTABLISH THE HABIT. The amount of time doesn’t matter. What you’re actually doing doesn’t matter. What you get done doesn’t matter. As long as you are taking steps towards your intended target habit, you are on track. That’s why it’s helpful to start with easy practices. The easier the initial practice, the more likely you’ll cultivate the new habit you desire.

At the beginning of the Rottnest Channel swim squad season I spend alot of time at least half of the time in the water for the first month focusing on technique. Once a habit, good or bad, is set, it is hard to break! especially once you get into the building endurance and up the mileage.

6. Set yourself up for success.
Start your new, easy practice when you’re really ready. Put in place the support or resources you need — be it information, a teacher/mentor/coach or a trusted “progress buddy” (like a diet buddy to keep you on track).
If you’re the kind of person that needs to make a public commitment to get yourself to do something, then email your friends and tell them your intentions. Ask them to hold you accountable to your new practice. In contrast, if you suspect your ‘friends’ might be jealous or competitive or might unknowingly undermine your efforts, then it doesn’t serve you to tell them what you’re up to.

Very important: If you are quitting smoking or going on a diet and this is not the first time be very careful who you share your new habit. Some people will remind you that you have not been able to succeed in the past and these are not the type of supporters you want in your cheer squad.

7. Monitor your progress.
Every day, make note of what you did, related to your target habit.
I keep a journal of all my new habits and strategies to ensure I am on track just as I did keep a log book of my swimming workouts, what I ate, how much I weighed, my morning heart rate, mileage swam… and handed in every week to my coach to write a report giving me feedback.

8. Remind yourself why you’re doing this.
Until your target habit becomes like breathing for you, make it a daily practice to review your ‘benefits’ list (from step 3). This only takes a few seconds and can really help.

9. Praise yourself.
This is non-negotiable. It’ll feel pretty darned good to do what you set out to do…yet it’s important to acknowledge you successes in some tangible way. Give yourself bonus points for every day that you carry out your intended new practice. You can mark ‘X’s on a calendar. You can give yourself gold stars. You can email your creativity buddy at the end of the week to say ‘I did it!’ Yes you can email me as I am on your Champion team in the balcony cheering you on to success. And while you are at it why not WOO HOO!!! in the mirror.

10. Be kind and gentle with yourself.
If you happen to not do what you intend, avoid beating yourself up. Simply record what did (or didn’t) happen. I’m human and therefore fallible. It’s no big deal. Let’s move on. Tomorrow is another day. Look at the bigger picture: okay, I missed yesterday, but I did my new practice eight times in the past two weeks. That’s eight days I did great. Overall, I can see I’m establishing this new target habit — I’m making this practice an automatic part of my life, most days.

11. If you find yourself consistently missing your intentions, then it’s time to dig deeper. What’s going on? Do you really want to establish this new target habit? If no, then review your list of habits from step #1, pick a habit you DO want to establish and start over with that. If yes, then perhaps you’re trying to do too much too fast. Try breaking your daily/weekly practices into smaller, easier increments. Or are you trying to start too many new habits at once? If so, pick one to focus on and leave the other target habits for now.

12. When you find yourself meeting your initial baby bite-size do-able step practices regularly and consistently, up the ante a bit.
Aim to do a little bit more. Repeat the process (steps 6 - 11) as you gradually work up to performing your target habit regularly and consistently. Build momentum, slowly but surely.

13. Be patient.
Slow and steady progress is better than short-term maniacal enthusiasm followed by sudden burnout or abandonment of your intentions. Avoid thinking about what’s to come — just focus on what you need to do today. Depending on what it is you’re trying to do, it can take 21 — 30 days — or more — to establish a new habit.

14. When you’ve successfully established your new habit, be sure to reward yourself for that milestone.
Give yourself a healthy, happy treat — you deserve it. After your first target habit is well established and ingrained, you can return to your list of habits from step #1, select a new habit and go through the process again. You’ll find that each time you go through the process, you’ll get faster and faster at establishing your new target habits.
Activity: Select a healthy, helpful habit you’d like to start. Follow steps 1 -14.

Would love to receive your comments below or email champion@championmindset.com.au and let me know of your progress as I would love to cheer you on as one of your supporters.

This is just a taste of the easy to techniques I teach in my program “Create Your Own Champion Mindset” — With the quickstart program, you can achieving the habits you desire right away…and at this ridiculous price of $149… get it quick… cause there are only 49 CDsets available til 9th August… or whichever runs out first.

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: If you are still struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? Pick Shelley’s Brain for 10 minutes for fr.Ee Email Shelley at champion@championmindset.com.au and let me know what day and time of week suits your schedule.

Way back on January 1st I chose to do things slightly different this year.

I chose a theme for 2010.

By picking a positive theme rather than a negative New Year’s resolution (usually you’ll stop, break or change), I get much better results.

The theme for 2010 I chose is: “Be the Champion Shelley”
Being Shelley - down to earth, relatable & comfortable in my own skin; Doing Shelley - walking the talk presenting, training and coaching!

Why? Because I wanted to get back on track and focused on what Shelley Taylor-Smith & Champion Mindset Consulting - the brand represents- before my big move back to my hometown in Perth, Western Australia (after 17yrs in Sydney on the Northern Beaches in Manly) in December 2008 & pre-GFC.

So I say an indebted thanks to each of the 50 or so Champion Motivations subscribers who sent emails and/or facebook responses to my Christmas message back in December ‘09.

2000 Sydney Olympic Volleyball Gold Medallist, Kerri Pottharst summed up beautifully the response from most readers - “Shells thanks for telling it like it “really is”…from your heart and down to earth. I admire your honesty. Keep it coming!!!”

and another…. “I’ve never replied to any of your e-mails you have sent over the years, but I want to assure you of the great impression you make on me. I am always happy to read your kind words and I have with no plan collected all your motivational snippets, they were just so good and unique that I re-read occasionally, they are of great benefit … thank you for your steadfastness to those of us who luckily receive your e-mails, the lesson alone on perseverance and support you show is personally amazing to me. It has been a privilege to receive your kindnesses over such a long time. Thank you!”

Ok I shed tears and even though I did receive a few not so positive (even advice that I should change careers) I became more determined to persevere. (no does not sound like Shelley at all!!!)

So for December, January & February 2010 I put pen to paper investigating 3 important questions:

1. What are the benefits for Shelley Taylor-Smith when she is down to earth, relatable and comfortable in her own skin?
2. What is the Champion Brand - Champion Mindset Consulting that brings people knocking at our door?
3. What do we do that makes for happy customers?

And guess what business has never been better!

I have reformulated my business vision using our Champion Passion Pyramid tool. Funny when you get rid of the clutter and gain clarity, the answers are right there in front of you!

And I want to teach you exactly how you can get back on track too.

Join me at the Personal Branding - Create Your Champion Brand: YOU! workshop next month to develop your 2010 vision and learn:

* What purpose has to do with achieving success,
* How to identify your own career and business vision,
* Define the habits required that you need to stick at,
* How to eliminate the fears that drain your power - Champion Brand: You!,
* How to effortlessly embrace your strengths, anytime you need to
* Simple steps to immediately replace your limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs
* How your attitude can enhance relationships so much you get what you want
* How Champions handle mistakes differently than others
* Create your one year Champion brand plan

I would love for you to come on this journey with me and share your changes, challenges and celebrations - your Champion Gold Medal moments!

So What Did Shelley Achieve in January and February 2010???

I launched myself into the new decade as Head Coach of the Rottnest Channel 20km Swim coaching 30 solos and 10 duos. A 4 month project that began on November 2nd and completed on 20 February 2010 with a 20km marathon swim Cottesloe to Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Results: Team Shelley 98% - achieving 1st place in 4hrs 41mins 30secs through to final place overall in 11hrs 30mins.

**Someone kindly reminded me that the only swimmer who did not finish (he retired at 12km) because he had been bedside at hospital with his son and had not slept for 48hrs prior to the race; this does qualify as a DID NOT FINISH. That was a commonsense decision to get out and not a failure.
Thanks Warren “WOW” Jones.

Here’s to seeing you real soon at a Personal Branding - Create Your Champion Brand YOU workshop soon. And if you’re not already a Champion Motivations subscriber then register now

Until next time…What basics do you need to get back to, to find your way back on track?

“Remember: If you don’t quit…you will make it!”

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: register now for Perth 9th June - Personal Branding Workshop

PPS - Sydney 18th May & Melbourne 20th May - register your interest - email champion@championmindset.com.au “Shelley, I want to register my interest for Sydney on 18th May” or “Shelley, I want to register my interest for Melbourne on 20th May”

Every year, millions of Australians make New Year’s resolutions…and then just as predictably break them.

The development and subsequent failure of the New Years resolution transcends any normal thought patterns, however people persist with a weary tradition that is generally serves only to undermine the individuals mindset.

New Years resolutions never achieve anything except for fostering a nation of failures. Instead of making meaningless goals, take responsibility for your life and create change. Change doesn’t come through New Years resolutions but through embracing change and addressing the root cause of your problems!

Failing to follow through with New Year resolutions only succeeds in making you feel miserable and will subconsciously set the pattern for 2009.

Will you choose in 2009 to toughen you up, smarten you up and develop a fight-back attitude?

“When the pain you’re in is greater than the pain it takes to change …then you are ready for change!”

It is that time…time to thrive and survive in what is shaping up to be the most challenging year. The next 12 months are going to create more successes and failures than the last 25 years combined.

There will be people who will be barely able to put food on the table …and others who develop the winning skills to actually THRIVE in this terrible economic meltdown. This is your moment of truth…your moment of choice…your moment of action. Its crunch time in 2009!

Asses your willingness to make a real change in 2009 by answering the following questions:

1. Is it the process of changing that you don’t want to go through?
2. Do you have emotional and physical support around you – friends, partner, family, colleagues, and mentor?
3. Are you afraid of the unknown? It can stifle our motivation and keep us stuck in an unhappy situation for years. So why do we fear change – when the rewards can be more than we have ever anticipated. It is normal to fear change, but it is how you think and feel about the change which is really the point. How can you overcome your fear?
4. Does your ego get in the way? Your own behaviour could be the cause of your problems,
5. Are you wearing blinkers, or blaming others for their mistakes?
6. How high do the stakes need to be for you before you change?

To achieve extraordinary results, you must change your approach to life and change it now. Success and happiness can only come from within you. You must pinpoint what is causing your lack of motivation, inconsistent results and unhappiness and you will define the core of who you are, what your values are and where your motivation comes from?

To thrive, you must develop a “fight-back attitude”; to proactively position yourself for the long, tough battle ahead.

Anyone who wants to not quit yet again…it is time to get up, get over it and get on with it!

Go for your gold in 2009!

About Shelley Taylor-Smith
Shelley Taylor-Smith, is Australia’s No.1 Mental Toughness Coach: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Shelley helps people transform their Champion potential into performance. An energetic and inspirational speaker, international best-selling author and corporate educator, Shelley demonstrates how harnessing the power of your mind and boosting your self belief can help you achieve your goals. With her passionate commitment to being relatable, Shelley delivers a powerful lesson in mental toughness.

Find out more and subscribe to Shelley’s fortnightly Champion Motivations newsletter go to: http://www.championmindset.com.au/inspire.htm

Imagine being able to manipulate the future:

“Everyone knows HINDSight is 20/20, but imagine having 20/20 FOREsight in 2009!”

That is what this first blog for 2009 is all about – wanting to see if you’re getting the same ‘ol same ‘ol or have you got the Champion edge?

Let me set you up, so you can benefit as you use your 20/20 foresight like a telescope that make distant stars feel so close that you could reach out and touch them.

20/20 foresight is one of many concepts that we will explore in 2009, as we turn the page after the the most important 21 days of the year….

…remembering it takes 21 days for a new habit to become 2nd nature…. unconscious and part of who you are without having to think about it once and for all.

So is the New You bursting forth….achieving what you set out to achieve with your New Year Resolutions?

If you’re like most people, you itemised the things you want or wish to improve:

• Make more money.
• Lose weight.
• Get into a passionate relationship.
• Spend more quality time with family.
• Become fit and healthy.
• Learn a new language.
• Travel to exotic destinations.
• Cook new recipes.
• Get Better Grades.
• Quit my job and start a company.
• Follow my Passion.

But most people don’t stick to their resolutions. Why? (I will explain all the reasons why on the upcoming special live teleseminar on Wednesday 4th February at 8pm Sydney EST Australia time….reserve your seat now as it is over half full!)

It is a real shame because usually they are the list of what they want most, dream about and wish for with all their heart and soul.

If they achieved even a fraction of their New Year’s Resolutions, their lives would change and create a radically new, different destiny for them and for their family/kids.

I see it all the time.

Wishing for something to change, but not taking any action.

I want you to take action – go back through your New Year’s Resolutions. And if you have not as yet…for whatever reason…. go ahead now if you have not even started a list.

Do them in a place that inspires, motivates and empowers you to think expansively.

As you start the process, just make a list of everything you would like to have or ‘be’ … Don’t sensor yourself – that will come later.

Just take 5 to 10 minutes. Aren’t you worth 5 to 10 minutes?

Once you have your complete dream list, you now need to chunk it down to your ‘Top 10″ list – the top 10 things that you are committed to working on ALL YEAR LONG.

I select a list of 10 because that works for me. More is too much and less is not enough.

Once you have this list, try to determine “What has to happen for this to be achieved?” for each item on your ‘Top 10 list’.

For example, if one of your resolutions is “I want to be fit and healthy”, what has to happen might be: “I need to get to 80 Kilograms with 8% body fat, fit into my ’skinny jeans’. I need to do some form of exercise or sport 3 times per week as a MINIMUM. I can’t eat junk food and coke more than once a week. I no longer eat after 7 or 8 PM at night.”

The more detailed and specific you are the better.

I know this is simplistic – I get a lot of that.

People WANT success to be complex, complicated and hard. It’s because that way they can feel self-justified when they are not as successful as they would like and lie to themselves that’s it’s all too hard…

Success is actually not hard – it’s easier than failure, but few see it that way.

I mean think about it.

When you ARE successful, rich and healthy – you have options. You can buy what you need, want desire. You can travel when you want to avoid the panic rush of the masses who are all forced into a funnel during ’school holidays’…

People WANT success to be complex, complicated and hard. It’s because that way they can feel self-justified when they are not as successful as they would like and lie to themselves that’s it’s all too hard…

Success is actually not hard – it’s easier than failure, but few see it that way.

I mean think about it.

When you ARE successful, rich and healthy – you have options. You can buy what you need, want desire. You can travel when you want to avoid the panic rush of the masses who are all forced into a funnel during ’school holidays’…

When you’re successful, you can hire resources to get stuff done for you so you WORK LESS and EARN MORE. Isn’t that easier than doing the actual work?

When you’re successful, you know how to get the RESULTS that evade most people. You get paid A LOT MORE for those results, but they don’t take more effort to produce, but BECAUSE the RESULTS are better, you get PAID multiple times more than someone else who breaks his/her back producing LESSER outcomes.

When you’re successful, you are healthier, fitter and therefore have more stamina and perseverance to go the distance, the extra mile so-to-speak where all the rewards are. The rewards that pay you for your efforts instead of coming up short and although having expended ‘almost’ as much time, cost and effort pay no nothing, nada, zilch.

Trust me, success is a LOT easier. It’s the best-kept secret out there – one that I have been ‘preaching’ for years.

This is my gift to you today- since you are a Think Like A Champion Club Member, I want you extend to you a 15min coaching call to help set you up for a meaningful 2009. On the call you ask me any question related to why you are not succeeding and achieving your goals.
Email me at info@thinklikeachampionclub.com with your name and contact number to arrange your coaching time. (NB: this gift expires at midnight 31st January 2009).

And if you are serious about Making 2009 Your Year to Achieve Your Goals…. then order the Create Your Champion Mindset 7CD set at $197 (RRP $595) and be coached step-by-step through the Goal Planning System guaranteed to see you achieve your desires and what you deserve.

The 7 Cd set will also include the 90 page Ultimate step-by-step manual and bonus resource Cd is only available until 1st February at this ridiculous offer, but since you are a Think Like A Champion Club Member I wanted to make sure I did give you the impetus, the catalyst to do this NOW, to get you started on your success pathway. Order now as only 27 sets in this offer!

Yes, timing is important.

Do it NOW in the first 21 days of the YEAR, because this is what sets you up for the rest of this NEW YEAR.

You want to set the goals in the distance - the Power of the Creating Your Very Own Champion Mindset to leverage the immense potentiality of your brain’s magnificence to your benefit.

Using tips and tricks like this to catapult you forward effortlessly, like a magic carpet ride into the future.

I know, I know how simple this sounds.

I know.

I also know it works.

When I first did this at Tony Robbins’ Unleash The Power Within Firewalk Seminar in 1997, I wrote down a list of 10 TEN-YEAR GOALS.

These were goals that I would be astonished, excited, amazed and ‘beside myself’ IF and WHEN I achieved them in the NEXT 10 YEARS …

Most of those goals were too personal to share with you, but what’s important is that within 1 year, I had achieved 8 out of 10.

I had to pinch myself – literally when I re-visited my list. There it was, my 10-YEAR GOALS LIST with 8 out of 10 items ticked off.

I know how incredulous this all sounds.

I know.

I have never looked back and have been leveraging this incredible epiphany ever since.

I hope you do too.

There is NO BETTER TIME than right now to do this – other than in exactly 12 months from now…

By then YOU could have 8 out of 10 items ticked off your list!

Get Up, Get Tough and Get Going in 2009!

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

P.S. One of my 10 year goals was to return to my hometown of Perth, Western Australia and set up Oceania’s 1st ever FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup event … and just this week I met with the WA Sports Minister proposing the event for March 2010 and next week I have meetings with the Perth City Council, WA Department of Sport & Recreation and WA Tourism. That’s right – and it is only day 22 of 2009!

Another goal was Marathon Swimming inclusion into the Olympic Programme which the IOC announced on October 26, 2005 (less than 10yrs that I wrote it on my 10 year goal list). The 10km marathon swim debuted in the Beijing Olympic Games on 21 August 2008. It was the most highly sought first-ever after event at the Beijing Olympic Games by the media and last week in Kuwait we met and started planning for London 2012. For many people that is a ‘lifetime goal’, one that is never realised.

The rest as they say is…

The future.

History is left behind as we set out into the future to realise our dreams, wishes, and awakenings to whatever it is we aspire to do and become.

Dream big and see what happens.

Little did I know that one of the two items in my 10 YEAR LIST that wasn’t ticked off in the first year would happen within less than 10 years…

The Think Like A Champion Club.

Yeah I know.

It’s always obvious after-the-fact.

Hindsight is 20/20, but in your case you can have…

20/20 foresight!

Write Complete Action Plans for Major Goals…

A Goal Without A Plan Is Merely A Wish Without A Hope. Without a plan, dreams and goals are but the illusive wishes of hopeful dreamers. Once you have set a clearly defined goal, immediately develop a detailed plan for its accomplishment.

Making detailed plans is where dreams are snared and fantasies caught.

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”~ Stephen A. Brennan

A New Year Quest…

1. Which of your goals have you left dying on the vine without a plan? __________________________________________________________

2. What project, goal or dream can you make real with a plan in 2009?
____________________________________________________________

3. Do your plans show how much you care about your New Year’s Resolutions and goals? __________________________________________________________________________

Achieve Greater Success Today. Dead stop the FEAR of success… the FEAR of failure… the FEAR of the future. Take SMARTER actions more consistently. Incorporate the Champion Mindset and Think Like A Champion philosophy into your performance and you will achieve the SUCCESS you desire… a great deal sooner. Learn more…

“When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.” ~ Greg Anderson

It’s time to focus on Making 2009 Your Best Year Ever…

Let’s get straight to the heart of the matter. Most people set a few resolutions for change this time of year.

They resolve to lose weight… to find a more rewarding career… quit something (smoking, booze, drugs, a bad relationship)… start their own business… make more money… retire early… you name it.

Unfortunately, studies show that over 95% fail to even make it through January before losing their resolution for their New Year’s Resolutions! (Yikes….this statistic is really true too!)

They just GIVE UP, and get on with life—never realising that with a better approach, they could succeed beyond their wildest expectations. This, of course, is what leads to a life of REGRETS… not RESULTS.

Go back now to the quote at the top — and really study it.

It offers the best advice I, or anyone else can give you.
My advice: Find passion in your Goals or create new goals. Period.

Your Top Five 2009 Goals…
1. Personal__________________________________
2. Family__________________________________
3. Financial__________________________________
4. Career__________________________________
5. Community__________________________________

Your Champion Power to Achieve Them…

No question, these goals will remain on this page all year long… next year… and years thereafter—unless you commit the power to achieving them. If you are not BOTH successful AND happy with the results you produced in 2008, what are you going to DO differently in 2009?

This is a profound question. Think about it.

Go for gold! It’s your time to stand up, stand out and shine in 2009! Read more how now

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

I’m not the most athletic person in the world.

I hear you….What you 7-time World Marathon Swimming World Champ…you’re kidding yourself aren’t you Shelley!

Now before you fall on the floor in shock and horror….hang in here with me…because there is a valuable lesson to achieving your goals and creating 100% self belief along the way so your self esteem soars too on your journey.

You see as a child, I grew up being told that I had no natural ability, was disabled and had nothing above average…yes me!

Growing up, you’d find me anywhere and everywhere participating on the sports field at lunch-times and after school and on Saturday mornings in the inter-school sports carnivals.

When it came to doing the mandatory athletics day, I’d somehow work my way into participating in the long distance events as I was simply hopeless at sprints events….I mean someone took them out of my Weeties box.

Now retired from competitive marathon swimming 10 years…(and people keep asking me, as early as only yesterday at the pool, “are you still competing Shelley?”)

and… I know I no longer have youth on my side – I am 47yrs young….so if I want to be able to keep living the Champion life that I love with all the passion and purpose like a 20yr old, then I need to do something new.

So if you come into the Manly Surf Club gym on most mornings, you’ll see me there. And you may even hear me complaining to my buddys during my twice-weekly workouts “I can’t lift another thing” or “It’s buuuuuuurning!!!!” This is all getting way too hard”.

If I had my way, I’d continue to swim every day ….and that would be really easy for me to do. I would even continue my lovely beach walks every other day. I’d do the things I was most comfortable with and leave the rest til another day – when I felt like it.

Yet every time I walk into the Manly Surf Club gym, I hear those men’s words ringing in my ears as I struggle and those days when it is all too much and I feel like giving up. ‘C’mon Shell …what are you always telling us….You saved the best one for last…..You’re the Best…Forget the Rest! When the going gets tough…the tough get going!”

Buggar they were listening to me all these years!

But it’s that – that makes all the difference.

And you know what? I would not have it any other way.

So often in life we want the reward but we don’t want to do the extra that will get us there. We want to stay in our comfort zone but we want more as well. When we decide to step out and do ‘just one more’, we begin our journey to the next level.

We each have our own cheering squad - listen to those who want what’s best for you and encourage you to move towards your goals. You may find you can do ‘just one more’ and it’s that which will make all the difference.

Decide today what ‘just one more’ you will commit to and what difference it will make.

“We often don’t know what we’re capable of - until we go beyond what we think we can do”.

Go for Gold!
Cheers Shelley