WILL DEAN, an Olympic Rower for Canada, competed in the London 2012
Olympics. He is currently training for Rio 2016. His advice:
Get one of those big blue calendars. Planning your life on your phone is fine, but it doesn't give you the same perspective. Don't feel bad about saying no to people if you're too busy. People will always want your time, and while many things might seem small, they can add up quickly. You have to prioritize your sport and your health, only add to that if it doesn't compromise those two things. Realize that good time management doesn't mean filling your day with non- stop productivity. To be at your best, you need some down time. Don't feel bad about napping, watching some TV, or going for a walk. Don't sacrifice your sleep. Sooner or later, it will catch up with you. You won't perform at your best, and you will get sick. BRIANA SCURRY won two gold medals as the starting goalkeeper for the
United States women’s soccer team in 1996 and 2004. Her advice:
Focus is absolutely essential to achieving anything worthwhile. At the highest levels of achievement whether it be athletic, academic, or business one must have white hot, obsessiveness and the belief that no matter what, the objective will be achieved. All great achievement in our society was realized in this essence. About 6 months before an Olympics, I would relate all the decisions I made to the ultimate vision of winning gold. The simple question I would ask several times a day was "Will this activity help me perform better and therefore help us win gold" This question guided me in the right direction. Even if the activity was taking the day off or stepping back for a bit to get better perspective, being mindful of
that vision helped me choose the best course of action in order to achieve the goal. It became clear to me the right decision to make and in turn provided sharper focus and made it easier to be disciplined
