PB – a term most often associated with sport – describes an achievement that surpasses anything an individual has ever achieved before. When athletes achieve a PB they are elated. A PB taps into one of our most basic human needs – the need for accomplishment. A PB is a measure of our performance and also represents the realisation of our fundamental human need to improve.
Sport teaches us that being your best is not only about skill and talent, but also requires tapping into the vast pool of psychological resources available to us. By way of example, look no further back than those three sleep-deprived weeks in July, when Australia witnessed one of our greatest-ever sporting moments – Cadel Evans winning the Tour de France. The Tour, 3,000km of relentless physical and mental endurance, is the most gruelling sporting event in the world today.
What does it take to win the Tour? Well, apart from the obvious physical capabilities, including skill, fitness and stamina, there’s grit, determination, courage, persistence, focus, desire, resilience….. the list goes on, and Cadel has them all.
But here’s the thing – we may not all be elite bike riders (or musicians or scholars or leaders), but every single one of us, no matter what our level of skill, talent or circumstances, can be better. We all have the capacity to develop these psychological traits that give us the edge and help us realise our full potential.
Look for ways to learn and grow and be the best you can be in whatever you chose to do with your life, and remember that success is not born from talent alone. I hope my Personal Best blog helps cultivate in you a desire to be your best, and provides some information, stimulation and inspiration to get you there!
Lead Your Personal Best Life
Each PB Life Blog features tips on leading your Personal Best life, and we also post news and events of interest to our readers in the fields of leadership, resilience, performance and positive psychology.
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