Ralph Waldo Emerson is famously quoted (from his essay, “Self-Reliance”) that “a foolish consistency is the hoboglin of little minds”. Set in the midst of a rant against conformity, it has long been a clarion call for each person to chart his own course, heedless of the onslaught of society’s opinion. And also to be open to new thoughts and opportunities, and shift gears and direction at will.
Such a philosophy will bury an athlete quicker than a hamstring tear. In the midst of the Winter Olympics, I have been paying particular attention to what the winners have said, on reflection, back in the studio smiling and fondling their gold medals.
While I avoided men’s figure skating (indeed, all figure skating, along with ski jumping, bobsled and luge), I did watch Evan Lysacek talking with Bob Costas. reflecting on his rejuvenation after winner a major title a year ago, he said he developed a renewed enthusiasm, noting that he had to re-learn that “training, doing your work every day, really does pay off in competition. I can’t imagine my life without that daily grind and the high of competition.”
Wow. Underneath the poofy costume, gelled hair and all, he has the soul of a driven athlete. The fundamental building block for success, for any endevour, but especially for skill and speed sports, is consistency – getting out and doing the work, every day, watching the weeks and months and years pile up and change you, re-create you.
Of course, it has to be the right work, or it’s all for naught. Bode Miller, the sneakily philosophical skier who won the combined gold, seems too project an attitude that “I don’t care how well I do in relation to others, I just want to feel as if I’ve skied perfectly.” Knowing what perfection is, though, has to come from endless repetition and practice, to develop a knowledge of what is possible, what is locked within you.
But he also knows that just developing those possibilities, through training, is not enough. He comes to competition through a side door. He knows that some events are higher value than others, due to the quality and depth of both the field of skiers, and the audience watching. Making the Olympics the highest possible stage. “Letting yourself get built up in it (the Olympics, or any top level event) opens the door for an inspirational performance.”
He needs us and his fellow skiers to be at our best, so that he can be pushed internally to his best. Then, his emotions opening the door, he focuses on perfecting his actions while racing, nowing that his time and place will then take care of themselves.