repeated affirmations to himself, such as ‘I am the Best’. Affirmations work at the unconscious level. His mind accepts that to be the best requires commitment to train harder than his closest rivals. Other secrets, which are so obvious
to him, would be worth applying to your sport, work, or personal life, too: Pick the right coach who will explain
what you need to know, not what you want to hear and who understands that peak performance demands the exquisite balance of physical, technical, mental and spiritual qualities. Bolt chose Mills because he knew his tough disciplined approach would counter his relaxed approach to life, bring out his best qualities and toughen him to compete against the world's fi nest athletes. Mills also stressed to Bolt not to
fear injury. Though not welcome, injury demonstrated that Bolt was pushing himself to the limits. Many athletes can't handle defeat,
but successful athletes turn it to their advantage as a learning opportunity. They compete without fear of failure, knowing that all possible consequences have positive benefits. No surprise, then, that the "no fear" mindset increases the chances of winning. Bolt himself says, ‘You have to learn how to lose before
you can learn how to win.’ All athletes aim to treat all races the
same, whether in practice or the Olympic finals by maintaining the same routines, rather than special preparations for the most important events. Bolt is also an entertainer. For him it is a
great way to reduce stress. It is preferable to think of something pleasant, rather than the importance of the race. Another secret is to train with a friend
equally committed to winning as you, and who performs almost as well. This adds spice to practice and prevents complacency. Yohan Blake performs this role for Bolt, and presumably Blake believes it helps his preparation too. Long distance runner Mo Farah does the same with Galen Rupp. Finally, never underestimate the power
of laughter. Keep in mind that life is meant to be fun. If your job or sport is the equivalent of day jail, change it. Willpower alone won't make you win. With more money than he will ever need, Bolt runs for fun. Setting new world records is almost incidental, a welcome by-product of doing what he likes doing - and doing it better than anyone else. b