The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are over. What a wonderful opportunity it was to watch all the amazing athletes compete in their events.  Years of hard work and dedication have paid off.  What an honor it is to make it on the Olympic team and represent your country.  Every Olympian had the same goal in mind.  They all want to win a medal, especially the coveted gold medal.  As we watched the games, we saw that medals in some events were won by a considerable amount while others were won by a fraction of a second. The bottom line is that the daily process helps you win the medals.

The Difference

There is only one gold per event, so what differentiates the Olympic Medal winners vs. the Olympic participants? To answer that, I refer to Gabby Thomas.  She won three gold medals in Track during the Paris 2024 games. During one of her interviews, she talked about the hours and hours of hard work that she and her team put in.  It was about the daily process, the habits and systems that were in place and not just about the goal that made the difference.

The Daily Process

Creating and maintaining habits is what the daily process is all about.  James Clear defines the cue-craving-response-reward model in his book Atomic Habits.  Here is a summary. 

The cue-craving-response-reward model is a neurological feedback loop that describes the process of forming habits.  

Cue

• The trigger that initiates the habit. This could be a location, time of day, emotional state, or other people. 
• Wake up first thing in the morning and think about going for a run.

 Craving

• The desire for a particular state or outcome. This is the motivational force behind every habit. 
• Start the day with taking care of your needs, being outside, and having quiet time to think and reflect.

 Response

• The thought or action you take. This is the actual habit or behavior you perform, driven by the craving. 
• Take the 4 to 5-mile run.

 Reward

• The payoff you get from your response. This is the end goal of every habit. 
• Feeling great and ready to start a new day.

The athletes had many habits and processes in place to be successful. Their results did not happen by chance.  They were motivated to start new habits and behaviors.  Then they reinforced these behaviors to make the habits stick and last through their successes and failures.

What medals do you want to win?  Do you have habits or daily processes in place to help you achieve your goals?  Is your feedback loop helping you to start and then maintain your habits?  Remember, the bottom line is that the daily process helps you win the medals.