#waytolive

Bob Bowman gave a speech to the American Swimming Coaches Association in 2008 entitled The 10 Secrets of Success. Bob is most well known as being the coach for Michael Phelps. I am including the ten points below, some have a few follow-up remarks of Bob’s. I would suggest that you read the full speech, the applicability in all of one’s life and not only in coaching swimming is on point.

1 -  HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING

Think success as opposed to failure. The point is: you have got to be able to get a picture in your head of where you want to go. That [picture] should be your focus. In my experience in coaching and life, the people who are most successful are the ones who do that [keeping focused on the picture] the best.

2 -  DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS

I think you have to write goals down. There is something about that process commits you to them and makes you think more about them. Specific meaningful goals like that are what carry you through the ups and downs.

3 -  TAKE ACTION

Just start doing it. If you are not sure where it is going to end up, get started anyway. You will figure it out. If you sit on your rear end thinking about it forever, it won’t happen most of the time. So, do not be afraid to take action and get going.

4 -  NEVER STOP LEARNING

5 -  BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD

Success is a marathon; never give up.

6 -  LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS

The higher up you go, the more the little things matter. The little things are very, very important: The facts are the things upon which you can make a good decision. Knowing how to deal with your mistakes and learn from them is also important.

7 - FOCUS YOUR TIME AND MONEY

Don’t let other people or things distract you. If you know where you want to go, then put your resources there. Once you decide where you are going, focus your time on it

8 - DON’T BE AFRAID TO INNOVATE

Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity. So, you cannot be afraid to go with something that everyone else says is wrong.

9 - DEAL AND COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY

I think, in general, the more patient you are, and the more you are able to build a long-term relationship with your athletes, the better you are going to be. You have got to reach them on some level and learn how to communicate.

10 - BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

If you do not have #10, then all the others don’t work either. It doesn’t matter how good your plan is. It doesn’t matter how exciting your goals are. It doesn’t matter what a good thinker you are… If you are not responsible and honest, forget it. WE make the decisions. Everybody has limitations. Everybody looks and thinks the grass is greener [somewhere else]. It almost never is. You have everything that you need right here. I think that you are in charge of your attitude, which is the most important thing that you will ever have.

Here is Bob’s takeaway from the speech: I hope that you will take this with you: You can achieve anything you want to achieve, if you are willing to learn, and learn to work with people, and if you are willing to communicate effectively.

Check out Bob’s book released in 2017, “The Golden Rules: Finding World-Class Excellence in Your Life and Work.”