26 Dec What if you could improve your whole life with one simple change? Because you can…
Happiness and success often seem a long way off and highly complicated goals to achieve.
But what if happiness and success and everything you want could be achieved with one simple change? Because they can! Here’s how you can enjoy enjoy more happiness and a better life by building keystone habits…
via Quartz by Louis Chew
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time.
He has won 28 medals in multiple swim categories and still holds several world records even though he has retired. His 80-inch wingspan and flexible ankles make him naturally predisposed to swimming—perhaps even more so than walking on land.
The talent is undeniable.
But the less told story is how his life has been built on a few habits that were intentionally inculcated into him. His swimming coach, Bob Bowman, knew Phelps could be great, but to become a champion, he needed habits that would make him the strongest mental swimmer in the pool.
Fast forward to the 2008 Olympics and Bowman was proven right. Phelps would be the first person to win eight medals in a single Olympics. When asked about how Phelps prepared, Bowman had this to say:
“If you were to ask Michael what’s going on in his head before competition, he would say he’s not really thinking about anything. He’s just following the program. But that’s not right. It’s more like his habits have taken over. The stretches went like he planned. The warm-up laps were just like he visualized. His headphones are playing exactly what he expected.”
What most people viewed as tedious, Bowman saw as vital and indispensable. He goes on to explain, “The actual race is just another step in a pattern that started earlier that day and has been nothing but victories. Winning is a natural extension.”
The power of keystone habits
Habits make actions and outcome predictable. When the body is on autopilot, you can perform regardless of the environment you’re put in. That certainly matters if you’re Phelps or competing at the highest level…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE