Home
>
Success
>
Belief Helps You Succeed But Can It Win A Boat Race?

Belief Helps You Succeed But Can It Win A Boat Race?

On March 27th 2005, Oxford won the annual boat race against their rivals, Cambridge.

A commentator remarked that both teams believed 100% at the start that they would win. Cambridge were described as the beauty because their technique was so good. Oxford were described as the beast because they were heavier and more powerful.

However, as the race started, one of the Cambridge crew did not dip his oar deep enough into the water and it skimmed the surface. As a result, the Cambridge boat got off to a bad start.

Immediately the confidence and belief in the Oxford boat went up a few notches as they soared ahead and the belief in the Cambridge boat went down a few notches.

The reality is that belief does not exist on its own. It feeds on the actions that we take. Belief can recover from mistakes but in the heat of a competition there is not always time to recover enough to win. Fortunately in ordinary life there is more time. You can make hundreds of mistakes and still succeed.

Other factors influence belief like the past history of a competition. These factors are not always decisive but they can be powerful. 63% of the Oxford v Cambridge races have been won by the heavier crew. The Cambridge crew drank lots of water at the start but that could not make up for the weight and power of muscle! They should have picked bigger and stronger men.

In the end and at the beginning, the technique of the Oxford boat was better. It was the newspapers who had fed the lie that the Cambridge technique was superior in order to make their stories more interesting and to create the imagery of the beauty v the beast.

Belief probably did win the race for Oxford but it was a belief that grew as they began to move ahead and realize that they could win and it was a belief that was accompanied by six months of hard training which built power and technique.

In January 2005, Steve McLaren, manager of Middlesborough, was facing Manchester United in one of the biggest domestic English football competitions.

Manchester United is one of the top soccer clubs in the world today but Steve's team have beaten Manchester United in the past and he took the view that this past success might give them the belief they need to win:

"Belief comes from past performance. We know what it takes to win at Old Trafford (the Manchester home ground) against Manchester United".

Steve believed that his team needed both belief and a bit of luck. In the end his team lost 3 nil. What went wrong? Maybe the belief was just a vague hope. To be effective belief needs to be expectation.

Horatio Nelson understood this at the battle of Trafalgar. His famous signal to the British fleet was:" England expects every man to do his duty."

By expecting the best from his sailors, he brought the best out of them. It is interesting that he did not say: "England expects victory."

No one can decide in advance who wins in any competition whether it is a game or a war. Any gambler will tell you that. The other side may well have some secret weapon. However, every one can control how they perform as individuals. Everyone can do their duty.

Results in any type of competition are out of our hands. Good results will usually follow hard work but the competition might be working harder than us and they may be more talented than us. All we can do is work our own socks off.

Maybe Steve McLaren should have told his team that he expected them not to rely on luck or past performance but to work as hard as they possibly could. Sheer effort is an element that can make beliefs come true even against heavy odds. Certainly luck is important but we all know the famous saying: "The harder I work, the luckier I get."

Belief is not overrated but it must be strong enough to create some great expectations and must be accompanied by hard work and skill.

It also helps if the other team have a bad day and get off to a poor start.

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams.

They can both be found on his website: http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.

The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures?Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"

The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com

The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.

You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.

best cleaning company Highland Park ..

In The News:

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Belief Helps You Succeed But Can It Win A Boat Race?

Success