Michael Phelps swims prior to the start of the Summer Olympic Games at Olympic Aquatics Centre. Photo Credit: Rob Schumacher
At the 1972 Olympics, USA swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals. It was such a major accomplishment that nobody thought it would ever be repeated. And then Michael Phelps came along.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Phelps took home six gold medals, but he wanted more. Phelps told the world that his goal in four years at the Beijing Olympics would be to break Spitz’s record and win eight gold medals. In an interview, he recalled the reaction to his dream. “When I said I wanted to win eight gold medals, basically half the people in the swimming world thought I was absolutely crazy, and nobody could ever do something like that.”
Flash forward to 2008, and Phelps made history when he won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. How did he do it?
Phelps explained that it was a series of small steps that ultimately led to reaching his big, crazy goal. He said, “Every small thing that we did was a small stepping-stone to even be able to have that chance.”
So, how do you even go about planning to accomplish something that previously seemed impossible? What are the steps you can take to help you reach your big goal? Here are five with a bonus sixth!
- The Dream: It is important to have a very clear picture of what you’re trying to accomplish. For Phelps, the dream was winning eight gold medals at a single Olympics. What is your dream? Write it down and visualize the feeling of accomplishing it.
- Baby Steps: Rome was not built in a day. What are the simple daily and weekly things that you can do every day and every week that will propel you toward your dream? Make those actions your routine. Baby steps are the key because good habits equal great success!
- Timeline: Set a timeline that includes the dates of milestones that need to be completed to reach your goal. The last milestone is accomplishing the goal itself!
- Keep Track: A weekly or monthly review of your progress is important to avoid straying from your goal. Don’t be afraid to make subtle changes to your plan as you learn what is working and what is not on the progression toward achieving your dream.
- Celebrate: A big, audacious dream is hard to achieve and can seem impossible. It is made much easier if you take time to acknowledge and celebrate the little wins along the way.
- Now, Really Celebrate! This is the day when you achieve your dream!
