Sunday, 26 August 2012

The best motivational video ever?


The other night I watched this awesome Usain Bolt documentary on SBS (email this to yourself so you can watch it at home. It is worth it): Usain Bolt: The Fastest I was totally absorbed by one particular scene (clip below) where Bolt takes us all through his race strategy. It is perfectly structured simplicity delivered with confidence and conviction. He breaks the race down into phases that happen at different metre marks.
  1. His start is his weakest point as he is really tall compared to other racers generally. "If I get a good reaction I can get myself in the race even if my first couple steps are not quick. From start to 30 metres that's my drive phase. Keep your head down and your body forward and let's keep driving, driving, driving." 
  2. He then changes his technique and takes stock of his surroundings- the competition. "After my drive phase it is all about getting tall, straight, knees up, shoulders down, that's when I start to get to top speed. 50 metres is when I check. I just glance left, glance right, make sure where I'm positioned in the race."
  3. I'm not sure I believe it but he actually says at this point that he "starts listening to the crowd, the cheers."
  4. "At 60 metres that's when I BECOME A BEAST really. That's when I start to DOMINATE a race. The majority of the time I can tell from probably 60-70 metres if I'm gonna win the race because the last 40 metres of my race is the stronger part of my race."
  5. "The last 10-15 metres of the race I start checking again, check to the right, check to the left. Can I stop running?" It makes me nervous to even think of him thinking this way. But he is so confident it does not matter.
  6. "10 metres, that's when I determine if I've won... cause the last 10 metres you're not gonna catch me. No matter who you are, no matter what you're doing, no matter how focussed you are, how ready you think you are, you're not gonna catch me cause that last 10 meters is gonna take me three and a half strides to pass the finish line."
  7. This is arguably the second most important thing for Usain's career (the first one being Speed) "And this is where the glory begins. When I pass the finish line I do what I want. Celebrate to the world. Do crazy stuff. That's when the world loves me. Because I put my flavour to it. I make them love and enjoy me."
Wow. How much more could you ask for? When you are top of your game you can say things like this and nobody will laugh at you… Bolt shows all of the characteristics of arrogance and showboats-it-up after winning. Yet he gets away with it. Why? He has put in the work, he has the talent above all others and can make all the claims he wants because he backs them up with results. Anyone can watch this and take what they want from it. For me it is like Rocky condensed into 10 seconds. A motivational piece that you can watch before presenting. A structure you can apply to presentations. A strategy you can adopt for winning new business, being successful... whatever. Watch it for yourself and see what you think

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