Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist Xeno Muller shares the inside secrets to motivation and success in all stages of life.
When you hear the words “Olympic athlete,” what comes to mind? Speed? Strength? Success? For me, I think of extreme focus and commitment. Some of the most successful athletes are not always the fastest or the strongest, but the ones that have the most drive and stay the most motivated. While we cannot all be elite-level athletes, we all face times where our motivation is feeling particularly low and our dreams feel especially far away. Lucky for us, there are things we can all do to overcome these internal battles and therefore become one step closer to living out our dreams.
Olympic rower and gold and silver medalist Xeno Muller shared with me some of his insights on how to achieve your biggest goals and dreams, and fight through the days where all you want to do is give up. While I am no Olympic athlete, I found much of his advice can be applied to any goals I have set for myself!
1. Visualize
Visualization is one of the biggest keys to success in order to achieve any goal that we set. “Often times people visualize the perfect race, but that rarely happens. The better route is to visualize the worst case scenario. This way, you are mentally prepared for any adverse situation and you have a plan for how to get out of it,” Xeno said. In other words, in the words of Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Visualizing all scenarios and coming up with a plan moving forward is one of the best ways to be prepared to fight self-doubt and overcome any kind of obstacle you may be faced with along the way to pursuing your dream. Xeno recommends physically creating a vision board to visualize what it is you want to achieve, and taking steps each day that will eventually lead you to achieve that goal.
2. Positive thinking
Everyone has days where all they want to do is quit. Olympic athletes are no exception. One of the strategies Xeno learned from his mother and relied on through his career was to always think positively. “You have to just get it together keep going because you knew that if you did not do this, someone else will gladly do it in your place.” Easier said than done, right? A trick to positive thinking that Xeno utilized in his day as a rower, and coaches his athletes to do now, is to always remember why you originally fell in love with whatever you are doing, whether that is rowing or not. When we feel too much pressure to succeed, we sometimes lose sight of why we started in the first place. Even though it can be difficult at times, keeping a positive mindset is key to overcoming those internal battles manifesting success. If you believe it, you can achieve it.
3. Take care of yourself and your body first
You only have one body. Treat it like the temple that it is, and take care of it! In addition to building a body that is bulletproof and becoming as strong as possible, Xeno also advises to stay risk averse, and avoid anything that will have a negative impact on your body and your performance. Stay injury free, and always take the necessary time to recover. In fact, rest and recovery is just as important as training and working out! You cannot operate on a brain or body that is tired. This is true from a young age, and applies throughout our entire lives. As a young person and athlete, Xeno learned this lesson in order achieve peak performance ability. Now, he still lives by this rule in order to stay healthy and strong so he can be there for his kids in the future.
It is sometimes not until later down the road when we are looking back that we discover how much sleep and recovery is at the foundation of everything we do, especially physical performance! Xeno advises his athletes to take rest very seriously and listen to their bodies in order to avoid both physical and mental injury. Xeno himself is a side sleeper who values cooling sleep products in the summer, and a supportive pillow with plenty of fill!
About Xeno Muller
Xeno Muller is an accomplished and driven Olympic gold and silver medalist in the demanding sport of rowing. After winning the junior world championship in indoor rowing and setting a world record, he was recruited to Brown University and where he led his team to an undefeated season in the eight-man boat before switching back over to the single scull. His undeniable passion and determination led him to win gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and silver in the 2000 Sydney Olympics while representing Switzerland. Xeno started rowing at the young age of 13, and owes much of his success to the way he was coached. He now pays it forward to other young rowers, and is the most successful elite high school rowing coach in the world. If you are interested in rowing or would like more information about Xeno, visit https://www.elite-rowing-coach.com/pages/contact-xeno-muller
About Inventive Sleep, Inc.
Inventive Sleep is dedicated to helping people realize their dreams and goals starting with a great night’s sleep. Its founder, Sleep Products Innovator Tracy Laskowski Miller, is one of the most engaging and creative sleep wellness product inventors in the industry today. She is known for applying her unique perspective on sleep materials research to create and help people find their favorite bedding products. With more than two million sold since 2006, her engaging brands and sleep solutions are in homes and hotels across the country. The company is a leader in designing, inventing and marketing innovative combinations of comfort and technology to create brands and sleep products including sheets, pillows, comforters, blankets and mattress pads. Tracy is also the author of the weekly sleep blog Sleep Secrets and Inspirations. In it, Tracy is sharing her expertise on sleep materials research and design, and demystifying the sleep experience with an informative and fun-filled conversation on how sleep helps people with everyday living, as well as some of her tips and tricks on picking your favorite sleep products. For more information, visit www.inventivesleep.com Sleep Tonight. Create Tomorrow.™