Winning in sport is similar to winning in everyday life. There is much we can borrow from sports coaching to win more on a daily and weekly basis.

Winning can be a dirty word. I find when I ask my clients what they are winning at they look at me strangely. Yet when I mention this to sports people, they don’t blink an eye. Sports players talk and think about how to win more often. It is a valuable mind-set for business owners to work towards. By clarifying what the win would be, and breaking it down into small steps, your week could be made up of lots of trophy moments. Providing you with motivation and small hits of adrenaline to keep you happy and energetic.

I consider myself to be a sort of corporate mind coach. I love working towards wins. Like many sports coaches I focus on personal best. Athletes know the recipe has lots of ingredients. Here’s five sport strategies to help you to be a winner.

1. The Mental Game – Athletes cannot go daydreaming whilst in the heat of the game. Try to place your attention on the task at hand. Block out distractions, turn off your phone and break your time down into two hour blocks. If you are finding it really hard to focus then maybe you need to try some mind clearing exercises before you arrive at work. Try some short meditation or letting go exercises. Leave your problems at home, you can always pick them up again when you get home.

2. The Pre-Match Work Warm-Up– what did you do just before you came to work? Do you have a ritual or routine that you know gets you focused and ready to work. Athletes warm themselves up by stretching and getting the blood pumping. What can you do to get ready to attack you tasks with enthusiasm and passion?

3. Weekly Improvement Training – Athletes have a regular training schedule and are always working towards strengthening their weaknesses. We never stop learning and developing whilst on the job. Look for ways to improve yourself and to do your job better. Find something that is going to extend and improve on your existing skills.

4. Eating Well Sleep Well – It’s so important to know what your individual needs are to be able to function at your optimal level. Every athlete hydrates themselves well the day before the big match and gets a good nights sleep. Our working weeks can leave us feeling so busy we can forget to drink and eat right. Know what your body needs to be able to think and work well. Also, pay attention to your bodies daily rhythms, not all of us have a slump between 3 and 4 pm but most of us do. More water, some nuts or maybe a cat nap!

5. Recovery whilst at Work – Recovery is important for sports people to rebalance and release stress. Eight hours sitting at a desk can leave you demotivated. When you are at work, plan to relax and do something frivolous. Roughly, your brain needs a breather every two hours before it begins to shut down so factor in two hourly pit-stops. Laughter is also proven to reduce stress and increase the amounts of insights you have. How can you laugh more during the day?   What can you do to truly relax and let the world pass you by for a bit?