Michael Phelps knows something about management.
So many people were tearing Michael Phelps down–you’d might have thought he was running for president.
He was seen online, around the world, smoking pot and partying. He gained a lot of weight and appeared a bit of a lost soul. He trained hard and lost the weight. Then he performed at such a diminished level early in the 2012 Olympics that many were writing him off.
He overcame his greatest opponent: himself.
Michael Phelps and Managing Yourself
Phelps is manifestly gifted physically. His body was meant for championship swimming. And he was fortunate to have a mother and others who helped him make his dreams become reality.
Yet, what we all saw in London was exceptional courage. Phelps was able to overlook the naysayers and the morbid temptations of defeat. He was able to break through the clutter of negativity and locate his greatest capacities.
Likely, for him that was the culmination of many such feats of self-management over the years. Many times, he overcame the doubts of others, or, even his own.
What About You?
Are you able to dig deep for your greatest performance?
Can you find the power to make positive use of your failures and shortcomings, transforming them into assets? Or do you succumb to negative voices–your own or others–that would hold you back?
How do you manage your mind and body and spirit, so that you can reach your greatest potential?
Have you found your calling? Have you located and occupied the place where your capacities and the world’s needs meet?
Who Are You Serving?
Just One Thing | Michael Phelps and Managing Yourself
