Essentially Layne was discussing her pathway to success in surfing and business.
I'd love to share a few of her quotes from the transcript with all of you:
Layne on Focus and Determination -
“When I turned 25 I was considered a veteran. But I didn’t win my first world title until I was 26. You know, as women, we do tend to get better with age.”
What took her so long?
“I wasn’t ready,” says Beachley. “I wasn’t ready to win. I was still very distracted. I didn’t give it 110 per cent. Once I started to really focus in on it and take all the other distractions out of my life and make that my number one priority then I won and I stayed there for as long as I did.”
What took her so long?
“I wasn’t ready,” says Beachley. “I wasn’t ready to win. I was still very distracted. I didn’t give it 110 per cent. Once I started to really focus in on it and take all the other distractions out of my life and make that my number one priority then I won and I stayed there for as long as I did.”
This is something that I have found to be so important - when you want to achieve something you have to focus on it and it alone 100%. You can't be attempting to acieve 6 major goals at one time because you simply don't have the enery to give them all the attention they need. The other important point here is that you really really have to want to achieve the goal you are aiming for - you have to want it with all your heart - only then can you truly focus on you goals.
A friend was relaying a story to me last night about a guy he went on a work trip with who was a marathoner - he routinely declined invites out for post work drinks and that kind of thing because he valued his training so much that it was more important to him - he wanted to get up and go for his 20km in the morning and he wanted to be fresh when he did it. It was more important to him.
That is the mindset you need to achieve your goals.
More from Layne:
Beachley says her support networks have been crucial to her success.
“Even though I’ve been perceived as being an individualist, I’ve always had a team of people around me that have allowed me to maintain my focus and have pushed me in a different direction if it looked like I was falling off the rails; have been honest with me, have been trustworthy; people I’ve respected and also have experienced things that I never have so I could learn from them.”
“Even though I’ve been perceived as being an individualist, I’ve always had a team of people around me that have allowed me to maintain my focus and have pushed me in a different direction if it looked like I was falling off the rails; have been honest with me, have been trustworthy; people I’ve respected and also have experienced things that I never have so I could learn from them.”
This is another thing I have learnt along the way - it is absolutley crucial to have a team of people in your life who support you and your goals. They have to validate and believe in your approach as much as you do and not be the one who is derailing you. Does your partner constantly try to get you to eat junk with them or go drinking with them? It's not that they want you to fail - they just dont see how much you value your goals -it is so much easier to ahieve a goal when your support crew is behind you 100%.
She looked to those around her – including four times world champion Wendy Botha and Australian surfing legend and fellow world champion Pam Burridge – for advice.
“I basically became a sponge,” says Beachley. “Anyone I could see that had achieved what I really wanted, I asked for their guidance.
“I basically became a sponge,” says Beachley. “Anyone I could see that had achieved what I really wanted, I asked for their guidance.
Another really great point - find someone you admire, someone who has achieved what you want to achieve and find out as much as you can about how they did it - then do it better!
Layne continues “If you want to stay ahead of your competition, you have to find ways to reinvent yourself; you have to be willing to improve and you have to be willing to learn and acknowledge that you don’t know it all. There’s always another way to do something.”
So, what is Beachley’s advice to women? What are the words they need?
“I’m worthy. I can, I am. It’s about, firstly, having a really positive attitude, having a goal that you can work towards. It’s really important that you have a goal. Write it down. I stuck it on my mirrors in my bedroom and just looked at that through the toughest times in my life. You’ve got a purpose to get yourself up in the morning, that will give you the motivation to overcome any obstacle you can ever encounter.”
“I’m worthy. I can, I am. It’s about, firstly, having a really positive attitude, having a goal that you can work towards. It’s really important that you have a goal. Write it down. I stuck it on my mirrors in my bedroom and just looked at that through the toughest times in my life. You’ve got a purpose to get yourself up in the morning, that will give you the motivation to overcome any obstacle you can ever encounter.”
Excerpts taken from Layne Beachley interview on Switzer.http://www.switzer.com.au/small-business/women-in-business/feature/behind-every-great-woman/
Full interview can be seen here.
I have a lot of respect for this woman and her savvy business sense. Layne's certainly an inspiration. xxx
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