Successful Athletes... What do they look like?
Elite and successful athletes often have common attributes and qualities about them. Here we look at the mindset qualities and behaviours of successful

To begin with, mindset is everything. It is the X factor that could be the difference between winning and losing. The reality that you perceive, is the end-product of your mindset. Here are some key attributes and behaviours which are common in successful athletes:
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  • Persistence – it is the quality of continuing to move forward regardless of the outcome. Setbacks will always occur but it is our ability to move past them that is key to an athletes success
  • Positive Realism – this is a crucial aspect to having and maintaining the right mindset to succeed, whilst keeping real with the environment you are competing within. With every positive comes a negative and it is important to temper positivity with some realism.
  • Humility – a humble person does not overstate or understate their abilities. Generally, a quietly confident person who can critique their own performance and ability objectively and realistically. This trait is also about remaining hungry to keep improving.
  • Vulnerability – this quality is about the ability of being able to acknowledge failures to others. Commonly seen as a sign of weakness to some, it is actually the opposite. Being vulnerable allows you to strengthen your resolve because we cannot grow truly strong until we acknowledge the areas where we are weak.
  • Lack of Regrets – it is common for all athletes to have regrets regarding their performance. However, too much regretful thinking is destructive. Don’t lament on could’ve been but rather what you could have done differently when competing and move on to improving this area.
  • Motivation – whilst all athletes love to win, understanding that there are many benefits derived from the participation itself is a key attribute to successful athletes.  Successful athletes appreciate there will be many setbacks and have the ability to persist and remain motivated despite the challenges incurred.
  • Goals and Commitments – having short, medium and long terms goals is crucial in any profession and this also is true for successful athletes. They are highly aware of where there performance level is at and how this stacks up against their goals. Their goals drive their schedules and day to day training and they are highly committed to them.​
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