Cultivating a Champion’s Mindset
The Intersection of Ambition and Achievement
Shawn Ray
Inside Shawn's World
When an individual sets out to change the way he looks, it will inevitably change the way he feels, but it all starts in the mind first!
We have to question things like, do I want to be great, or do I want to be good? Where your thoughts take you, the body will be sure to follow. I have yet to meet a great athlete who sets the bar low, who does whatever just to get by. Every great athlete I’ve met has worked harder than the next, has dreamed bigger than the next, and has believed more than the next!
When challenging ourselves to be great, we have to first believe it in the mind in order to achieve it in the gym; there is no room for self-doubt. The fixed mindset is that of an athlete who is going to do just what it takes to get to a certain level, but not more, who will be satisfied with being in the top five and not number one. The fixed mindset will have you making excuses for why you’ve trained so hard, dieted so hard, sacrificed so much that you can feel sorry for yourself and be happy with the improvement you made by comparison to those less driven.
Overcoming the Fixed Mindset
Why Striving for ‘Good’ Limits Your Path to Exceptional Achievements?
The reality is that the fixed mindset is what will hold you back from accomplishing greatness because as you start out on your fitness transformation, you will automatically feel reluctant to do more, to try harder, and dig deeper because you’re not focused on becoming number one! Simply being “good or better” is what actually separates the masses from the elite. The elite only know one speed, top speed! The elite only know one thing, becoming the best, number one! Good is a word used by the masses which doesn’t distinguish the amount of work and sacrifice in comparison to the greats!
From Good to Great
When I started out bodybuilding as a 17-year-old kid, immediately following my first contest where I placed second, I set my mind on becoming number one a week later and achieved that goal! Following that result, I knew I didn’t want to be good, I wanted to be great, dominate and become a winner! It’s the small details that shape the future of our dreams which begs the question, do you want to be great or good? The seeds get planted first, then comes the wait, the timing, the seasoning, the grooming, the caring, and ultimately the harvesting. Nothing good will come to those who start slow, waste time, and postpone their dreams in contrast to those who know exactly where they want to go and figure out how they will get there!
From Dream to Destiny
A mentor of mine told me after I won my first show that I could one day be a future Mr. Olympia. That was the seed, that was the dream, that became the goal, and the finish line for me as everything in between would be where the hard work would take place. Hours, days, weeks, months, and then years would pass as I stayed focused and hungry on the journey. Never strayed from the dream, never wavered in my belief that if I invested the time, the rewards would be mine for the taking.
The rest was history, as they say. My teenage dream became my full-time passion which led to a 20-year competitive caree
Sacrificing a few simple pleasures in life to be able to compete on the world stage in our sport’s biggest event with future Hall of Fame athletes and Mr. Olympia Champions are what my teenage dreams were made of. Those dreams came true because my mindset for greatness led me to this end. Visualize, conceptualize, then realize the dream is how I made thoughts into things.
The great Tom Platz once said, “Dare to Dream,” and I took that quote literally and felt if I’m gonna dream, I’m gonna dream big!
What are you dreaming about, and where is it leading you today?
Shawn Ray