No pain, no gain

No pain, no gain

Success, particularly in sport, is often associated with physical endurance and pushing through the pain barrier.

But most of us would say there’s more to it than that. In discussing her successful cycling career, Conference guest speaker Victoria Pendleton cited ‘the carrot rather than the stick’ as a key motivator for her achievements, as well as having courage: “You don’t have to be born with [courage]. You don’t have to earn it. You don’t even have to work for it. You just have to decide you’re going to have it and take it.”

Although achieving success in the world of sport is largely dependent on physical and technical superiority, the psychological element is arguably the most critical. Whether it’s the ability to remain composed at the crucial moment, or the sheer willpower that is necessary on a day-to-day basis to maintain the highest standard of training for an extended period of time – success is more than ‘no pain, no gain’; more than being naturally gifted. If an athlete lacks the drive and psychological strength to cultivate those gifts, they’ll ultimately fall short.

If courage motivates us to begin, are there other key traits of both professional athletes and high-achieving figures we can apply to help our teams succeed?

Although not a ground-breaking concept, a level of discipline is key to achieving your career goals. And we can learn a thing or two from the habits we form outside work. We’re used to being disciplined and tracking health goals in our personal lives; calories are constantly counted, body fat percentage is monitored, and Fitbits have seemingly taken over (with the incessant tracking of steps, heartrate and sleep). As a result of technology enabling us to hyper-monitor our activity, consumption and lives in general, being disciplined can become a habit. By applying this to your working life, you can achieve similarly positive results.

You work hard, you train hard, you dedicate your life to this one purpose.”

Victoria Pendleton

There has to be some fuel to light the fire. Nothing worth having comes easy, so the will to persist is vital. Being able to motivate yourself to endure short-term discomfort for long-term reward requires unwavering faith in your own ability. Of course, this is a prerequisite of any sportsperson, but is also a huge driver of success in any endeavour.

If you are going through hell, keep going.”

Winston Churchill

Even solo athletes usually have a team around them. Whether they coach, manage, or just motivate; without that team, success would often be unattainable. At work, it’s important to see your colleagues as a source of support (rather than competition). But getting the most out of those around you is a great way to demonstrate that you are worth more than just your own output.

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. “

Henry Ford

When things change, an athlete must be able to adapt to and overcome whatever new and unexpected challenges they face. Adaptability is important in any walk of life. Despite the human predisposition to adapt to any environment in which we find ourselves, we don’t like change. But, in an age in which everything is developing faster than ever, being flexible and openminded to new and different ways of working can allow you to be more efficient and more productive.

It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself.“

Charles Darwin

Success is the product of repeated failure, but perseverance in the wake of defeat doesn’t come easy. Physical training is this concept in its purest form – muscles are torn under excessive strain, and then they are repaired stronger. By treating each setback at work as an opportunity to learn, you can dictate your personal development and ensure that nothing you do is in vain.

I have grown most not from victories, but set-backs.”

Serena Williams