Do belief, commitment and hard work really pay off?  This season, it’s your turn to find out!

Can I share two remarkable stories with you?

First, a story about professional golfer, Ernie Els.  Ernie is a professional golfer in his early 40’s, an age that many people believe to be a time of declining skill.  His last major tournament win was in 2002 before he and wife, Leizl had their two children and Ernie suffered a significant knee injury.  In 2010 he decided to rededicate himself to golf.  For most of the time since, he’s seen his game gradually come back, but he’s been frustrated to regularly see a part of his game break down when close to victory.  He missed a 4 foot putt to lose a tournament earlier in the 2012 season that would have gotten him in the Master’s Tournament.  During these two years, with doubters speaking up loudly and regularly, he maintained his belief, commitment and hard work.  You could tell how hard it was to do when you’d listen to him answer questions in interviews about his lack of success.

Now, after shooting a 68, 5 strokes better than any of his close competitors, he’s again the “Champion Golf in the World” after winning the 2012 British Open, birdieing the final hole and winning by a stroke.  The takeaway.  You never know when your belief, commitment and hard work will pay off.  Ernie Els continued to train hard and believe he could achieve his goals in the absence of evidence.  So can you.

Roger Federer was the best player in tennis for a six year run, from 2003 through 2008.  He won 16 Grand Slams, and was arguably the best player in history.  But starting in 2009, Rafael Nadal and then Novak Djokovik started beating him regularly, albeit in either the semi’s or finals of Grand Slam tournaments.  He turned 30, married and had twins.  People began to write him off, saying he was over the hill.  He on the other hand rededicated himself to his tennis, believing there were more Grand Slams in his future.  For two years he believed, stayed committed, and worked hard in the absence of evidence.  Now he’s the Wimbledon champion again, notched his 17^th Grand Slam victory, regained the #1 ranking, and is again being talked about as the greatest player ever.  Many people wonder how he suddenly turned his season around.  He didn’t.  He had the courage to persevere through the ups and downs of three seasons, and it finally paid off.

The 2012 Summer Olympics provides us with a host of similar stories inspiring stories

What would you like to accomplish, not just this season, but over a longer time frame?  Are you willing to pursue your goals with belief, commitment, hard work and courage – qualities we all have available to us?

Tim Engels, M.A., sports psychology consultant with Mile High Multisport LLC, is a sports psychology consultant and counselor in Denver, CO.  You can contact him at (303) 956-5691 or tim@timspractice.com and find him at www.timspractice.com.