Athlete work Book- Success as a competitor

How to Succeed as a Competitor


    Know Yourself


The questions and your answers in this booklet will help you design a template for your success, on and off the race course.  

It has helped me in many arenas of sports and in my profession, from a top trainer in show jumping, to pro Ironman Champion, and now as a top coach. I learned a lot by planning and executing carefully! I learned from good examples, from bad examples, success and failure over many years.

You are clearly paying attention and you are ready to make a plan for your success.

“Begin with the end in mind.”- Stephen Covey


I want you to know who you are, and own who you are. When you clearly know yourself and don’t try to be who you think you should be, you will have a clear vision of your goals. Know who you are to succeed.

This is a way to help you organize your thoughts and be deliberate about clearly setting up who you are, and what you believe in.

Succinctly and clearly, what do I want to do? Ex:

  • Race my first 70.3

  • Qualify for Kona

Why do I want to do this? Ex:

  • To improve my overall lifestyle

  • To push myself to new limits

What fundamental differences will this make in my life? Ex:

  • I’ll gain new levels of confidence.

What will happen if I don’t get there? Ex:

  • I will have not explored my full potential as an athlete.

How will I set goals? The Power of Setting a Schedule, Not a Deadline.

  • As I think of reaching my goals, I set a schedule for my day-to-day routine and weeks. For each of my goals, what do I need to do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis that will work towards reaching my short-term and long-term goals through repeated action and habits?

What motivates me?

  • How will I deliberately use what motivates me to achieve my goal(s)?

  • What habits and routines will I create in my day-to-day life? Tiny routines that are repeatable make big dreams a reality. Dream big, but start small.

On my way, from start to finish, who is my team?

  • Advisors:

  • Motivators:

  • Mentors:

  • Critics:

  • People I might need to pay:

  • Always there for me, no matter what:

How will I celebrate?  

  • It’s key to celebrate small achievements along the way.

What is unique about me, what do I bring to the table, and what type of athlete am I?

  • What type of people do I want to attract?

  • Where are my strengths?

  • What is the role I find myself in over and over again in group situations? (whether I think it or not, how I show up, self-awareness)

What rules of my own do I want to remember?

  • What are my rules that I will expect others to follow, and what are my rules for how I handle myself?

  • How will I manage relationships? (in celebration and conflict)

  • What are my boundaries?

What pitfalls and weaknesses do I need to overcome in order to succeed? How do I avoid them/get back on track when I need to?

  • Always restate your goal with a statement of how you will reach it with your “why” in mind.

  • In every journey, there are twists, turns, mistakes and victories. How will you ensure you always get back on track and keep moving forward to the next level?



After completing this workbook, how will I apply the lessons learned and move forward with my plan?

  • What is the next concrete step? Know where you are going!