The whole world especially the sporting enthusiasts were all focused on Vienna, Austria as the son of Africa Eliud Kipchoge, attempted to do what no human being has ever done: cover 42 kms in less than 2 hours dubbed the INEOS 1:59 challenge.
As a sports lover myself, more so anything that’s challenging me to push myself beyond what I feel is the limit, I am with him and I had no doubt that he would pull it off. Kipchoge is the men’s marathon world record holder and this was his second go at this historic attempt. I have been keenly following his preparation and the media briefings he has been giving and I have picked some few tips from him that makes him to be what the world is calling the G.O.A.T(Greatest Of All Time).
These are the major things that he says have helped him to be on top of the sporting world as far as road running is concerned. I believe that in our lives, we should also have our own challenges and this is what I have dubbed “The Success Challenge.” For one to achieve success in all that one seeks out to do, there are some principles that we can apply that will help us get there faster. All of these I have skimmed them from Kipchoge’s speeches though not quoted verbatim.
FOCUS – In life, you need to know where you are going and what it is that you intend to achieve at the end of the day. Focus gives you direction so it Is very important.
DISCIPLINE – This is the most challenging part to most of us. Discipline applies to every aspect of our lives. From time management to finances. From studies to employment or business. If you are able to uphold high levels of discipline, you will be sailing through, where others are struggling to stay afloat.
CONSISTENCY – We need to teach ourselves what I call “The postage stamp principle.” A postage stamp sticks to the envelope or parcel until it arrives in the hands of the recipient. Many people rarely stick to one thing all the way to its logical conclusion. We bail out at the slightest hint of challenges. Many have lost major opportunities in life because they gave up too soon. Persevere until you see it to the end.
HARDWORK – Kipchoge has been doing over 60 kms daily for close to one year. This is no mean fete and few people can keep up with such a workout regimen. It doesn’t matter how talented you are, if you don’t put in the hours and sweat, your talents will come to nought. Quoting the words of Kevin Durant: “Hard work beats talent any day, if talent does not work hard.”
DEDICATION – You need to put every single fibre of your being into your endeavours. Half hearted will never win you the medal. People will avoid associating with you or doing any business with you. You need to prove to the world that you can be trusted and the only way to do this, is to show dedication to the task at hand.
HUMILITY – This is the final and most important of these principles. There is nothing as dangerous as allowing success to get to your head. It Is important to always maintain the highest levels of humility even when you make great achievements. A humble person stands a far greater chance of maintaining his/her success for ever compared to a haughty person who is full of him/herself. Like popcorn, we achieve our success at different times so it is important to treat other people with dignity and respect for though they’ve not gotten where we are, they are headed there and remember that how you treat people when you are up will determine how they treat you in the event, you find yourself down.
So now that Kipchoge has achieved his goal, let us join him in our own challenges, for human potential is limitless. It only needs to be enhanced. Wishing you every bit of success in all your endeavours. To read more posts by Mwangi, click HERE
