What Makes a Champion?

What Makes a Champion?

What makes a champion? Is it something a person is blessed with at birth? Is being a champion just about being lucky? Can anyone be a champion?

Over the many years I have been involved in athletics and business I have taken note on all those that have achieved greatness in their endeavor and there are a few things that they all have in common.  

1. They are focused on their task at hand
2. Negative vibes don’t exist in their world
3. They are goal planners
4. They think outside the box
5. Being “normal” to them is failing and there is no room for failure
6. They surround themselves with positive people. There is no room for negative influences regardless of who we are. They will get rid of us.
7. They don’t settle for their last performance, whether in business or on the field of play. They are constantly trying to get just a little better.
8. They are risk takers
9. There are no such things as excuses for bad performance. In their world, excuses are for the weak.
10. Winning is the only option in their world.

I don’t believe that one is thrust at birth into being a champion. I believe that it takes hard and consistent work to become one. It takes years of failures and doubt. It takes years of sweat, blood and tears to reach that final destination of being called a champion. Luck does play a bit of a role but a very small bit. Hard work is the only key to success and nothing less. It is constantly working when others call it a day or quit for the night. It’s running in all types of weather when others will only run when the weather is perfect. It’s always giving 100% regardless of how they may feel at that moment.

It really upsets me when I see competitions where there is no really winner and everyone gets trophies at the end of the day. We are setting our children up for mediocrity in the end. What is wrong with mediocrity? America was not built on that or for that. Mediocrity breads failure in the end on so many levels.  

Yes I believe that anyone can be a champion. The question you have to ask yourself is, “How badly do you want it?” If you want it bad enough you will focus and figure out a game plan for you to achieve your final goal… being a champion.