How to take training to the next level? Often the biggest obstacle we face is our own self-doubt. When striving to reach the pinnacle of fitness we find ourselves facing challenges that hinder or stop our progress. These can be mentally through lack of motivation or physically through injury. During these times it can feel easy to give up. In this post we have three champions who no matter what obstacle they faced maintained a winning mentally.
Roger Federer
It might be obvious to say that Federer who has won 18 Grand Slams and is considered the best ever has a winning mentality. Yet for the past 5 years many critics have been saying that Federer’s time was over after he struggled with injury and disappointments. This year he stunned the tennis world by claiming his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
What aided Federer in making a comeback? His nothing-to-lose-mentality. USA Today reported that Federer had a pep-talk to himself during the fifth set of his semi-final match against Stan Wawrinka. The champion pushed himself to victory by re-evaluating his tournament and playing like he had nothing to lose. He carried on this attitude in the final and on to victory
This is a great lesson for anyone who has lost motivation. Sometimes it is easy to forget past successes and focus only on the negatives. Next time you find yourself faltering remember that the tennis world thought Roger Federer was down and out, and how his winning mentality proved them all wrong.
Conor McGregor
If you want to be a UFC fighter you need to have the right attitude. Being a champion means taking your mental game to the next level. The Bleacher Report suggests that McGregor stays ahead of his competitors by always wanting more.
During a press conference McGregor announced that he needs targets on his back to keep him pushing for more success. He summed up his winning attitude as: “I’m going to keep asking and I’m going to keep taking.” McGregor also spoke of his bafflement when he sees many of his UFC peers not fighting tooth and nail for the title.
The desire to be the best has driven McGregor to sporting heights only held by top champions. It is the same with physical fitness. If you don’t have a goal it is easy to find yourself in a rut. Set a plan out for yourself, it could be to bulk up over 4 months or lose some weight, and stick to it.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee is an inspiration to anyone looking to improve their mental strength. The old master was famous for his iron discipline and winning philosophy. He influenced how we train today and was one of the first pioneers of full body workouts. Bruce Lee is one of the world’s most famous stars and his legacy is honored across many different platforms. His presence even extends to the digital realm with online entertainment outlet Slingo embracing the star in their Bruce Lee slots game. Even to this day, when people see an image of Lee they automatically associate it with disciple and strength. And his popularity is still felt across the globe.
Lee faced many difficulties in his early life as his mother was mixed race and he was born in San Francisco. While he was learning martial arts many students refused to train with him. At the time the Chinese believed that only those were full Asian should be taught martial arts. Lee didn’t give up and as we know went on to be the greatest martial arts fighter of all time.
There are many famous quotes from Lee that deal with a winning mentality. In his article on what Bruce Lee can teach you about life Blogger Aldan Tan listed several quotes. We believe that “don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail,” demonstrates best why Lee had a winning mentality. He knew that a person couldn’t succeed all the time, but that giving up was the worst mistake they could make.