Apolo Ohno's Olympic Mantra

Whether you are a speed skating fan or not, there are plenty of lessons to learn from Olympic athletes such as Apolo Anton Ohno.

Apolo’s legacy as the most decorated male Winter Olympics medalist stems from what some might consider his extreme work ethic. But after listening to his “up close” interview after winning a 6th Olympic medal, it was apparent that Ohno’s mantra is not focused on the physical, but on the mental. It is focused not on the future, but on today.

Each day, Apolo submits himself to a rigorous, 2-hour extreme workout then takes a short lunch break before resuming his exhaustive physical regimen for another two hours. His admitted goal with each activity is to maximally challenge himself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Ohno’s three-Olympic game success is not found in his physical routine, but in a question that he asks himself daily: “Did I do the BEST I could do today?” At the end of every exercise, sprint, workout, time trial, run, or challenge, he asks himself this very question. He doesn’t review his routine after a week or after each race and hope that he achieved his goals. No. He consistently and introspectively assesses his efforts, asking, “Did I give this my best? Did I give my all to everything I attempted to achieve right now?”

I was personally encouraged by Ohno’s Olympic mantra because it is relatable and transferable to anyone. You don’t have to be an athlete to live by this motto—you just have to be unwilling to SETTLE for mediocrity or moderation in all aspects of your life on a daily basis.

In other words, giving your very best in little things gives you the best chance for receiving big results when the pressure is on or when it matters most!

For example, people with years of sobriety achieve it one day at a time—year after year is only attained one day at a time. Or those with sustained weight loss achieve it by paying attention to what they eat at every meal, day after day. Those who have been successfully and faithfully married make choices everyday to remain true to their spouse. And people who reduce their debt, make consistent choices to save, rather than spend.

What little changes might you have to make to give your best today and get big results? Do you have to "change" your pattern and weigh in daily until you lose weight and maintain it? Or is it time to cut up a credit card until you reduce your debt? Perhaps this is the last day you will be late and instead arrive 10 minutes early for every meeting until you are never late again?

With each relationship, appointment, activity, or challenge, you can make a choice to push yourself and give your best…or settle.

How might your life change for the better if you took on Ohno’s Olympic mantra?

Be encouraged to change,

Becky