Sir Mo Farah is one of the most respected athletes in British history. He holds British records for the 1500m, 5000m, and the 10,000, and recently took on marathon distances (most notably the London Marathon, where he came third).
Amongst numerous other gold and silver medals at the European championships and the world championships, he also set up the Mo Farah foundation in 2011 (now dissolved) to aid people affected by drought and famine in East Africa. He won the BBC’s 2017 sports personality of the year after winning the public’s vote.
Mo Farah is a well-respected individual
The creator of the ‘Mobot’ is hugely admired all over the world. Not only has he inspired thousands to take up running and achieve their life goals, his attitude and outlook on life earned him public respect.
What can you learn from Mo?
1. Love what you do
Mo has been in the public eye for over a decade doing the same thing. Running. He makes no secret of his love for the sport, which motivates him to get up and train day-in, day-out.
Mo’s words of wisdom
“If you ain’t enjoying it, you wake up in the morning and you feel like you’re doing it just because people expect you to do it, then it’s not the right thing. You have to do it because you want to do it, and still have that drive.”
Whatever you do in life, make sure you love what you do and your hearts in it. Incredibly cliché but you only have one life. Not spending it doing what you love will wear you down.
If you love food, then be a chef. If you love music, start a band. When the thought of starting your own business keeps you up at night, start a business. You don’t have to give up your job or be professional; if you are doing what you love, life will be more fulfilling.
2.What you put in is what you get out
We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat”. It’s true. Whatever you put into life, is what you get out of life.
Mo’s words of wisdom
“I love running because what you put in is what you get out. When you cross the line it’s just that 20 seconds, 30 seconds of joy and happiness.”
Mo trains 7 days a week and racks up 135+ miles. Each day starts early, usually with 2 intense training sessions. Mo puts in this hard work because he knows that’s how winning is done.
When you don’t feel like reading that educational book, hitting the gym, practising the piano, or studying for an exam, remember ‘what you put in is what you get out.’
It might not feel good at the moment, but hard work now leads to results and achievement in the future. Listen to Mo’s advice.
‘What you put in, is what you get out.’
3.Get in the zone
Being in the ‘zone’ is an important ingredient to happiness.
Mo’s words of wisdom
“When I run I just go out there, go in the zone and just block everything.”
Mo’s passion for running comes alive when he describes being in the zone. It’s as if he feels completely immersed and engaged in running, being 100% focused in the current moment.
Being in the zone= finding your flow
A famous book called ‘flow‘ outlines how being in the zone is an experience we need for life to be worthwhile. The book argues what makes “experience genuinely satisfying is ‘flow’ – a state of concentration so focused that it amounts to complete absorption in an activity and results in the achievement of an ideal state of happiness.”
Ever worked on something for what seemed like 5 minutes, but after becoming completely immersed in the work you find an hour passed? When we love what we do time shoots by because we’re not clock watching. We’d happily carry on working on the task for many hours because it’s something we love, and something we can achieve flow in. We can be in the zone.
Good examples of being in the zone, finding flow, would be practising a musical instrument longer than your allocated 45 minutes or voraciously turning the pages of an engaging book.
Getting in the zone, finding your flow, is a fantastic idea we can take from Mo Farah’s life philosophy.
4.Keep grafting
Hard work is a key part of the formula to life success. It’s widely known and accepted throughout the world. Mo understands this and applies it to his training every single day.
Mo’s words of wisdom
“It’s important that you do the work and you enjoy it, and mentally you try and be strong. Just keep grafting.”
Despite Mo being naturally talented and gifted at running, he has worked hard every single day of his running career, so he could win the races he has done. It doesn’t matter if you’re a talented cook, singer, writer, artist, public speaker or entrepreneur.
Training relentlessly is essential for success. Honing your craft, sharpening your skills, conditioning yourself, are all necessary.
Venus and Serena Williams got up from 6 AM from the age of 8 to hone their tennis skills, Kobe Bryant’s basketball training routine featured 2 hours of running, 2 hours of weightlifting, and 2 hours of basketball. These are a couple of examples of how ruthless training is, for people who achieve exceptional things in life.
If you want to succeed, make sure you “keep grafting” day-in, day-out.
5.Make history
Mo’s is determined to make a legacy for himself. He wants to be better, achieve more, and become a legend in the history of athletics.
Mo’s words of wisdom
“People say you achieved a lot. You achieved Olympic, world, European, what more could you attract? I still want more. I want to be able to collect as many medals as I can and make history.”
Despite being the most successful UK track athlete in history, Mo wants to achieve more. He wants to leave a bigger mark on the history of the sport.
When you are successful once, it’s tempting to take it easy and relax a bit. However, relaxing too much can lead to complacency and before you know it all your well-deserved progress is lost.
Instead, having the mindset of wanting to make history with your life can drive you forward no matter what. If you’re tired, bored, unmotivated, tempted to relax, having the drive to create a legacy can propel you forward to keep on working and – importantly – achieving.
Leave a Reply