THE PROXIMITY PRINCIPLE FOR TRIATHLETES

Make friends with like-minded triathletes.

Many of you have heard of the idea that you are the sum of your 5 closest friends, or the 5 people you spend the most time with. This was the idea of American businessman, Jim Rohn, who believed that our lives mirror the lives of those who we spend the most time with. There is some truth to this principle.

Ken Coleman, a high-profile career coach, has taken this idea from Rohn and turned it into a blueprint used to increase the number of amazing opportunities popping up into one’s life pathway.

I’m going to take both of these sister principles and apply them to the triathlon world.

Make friends with like-minded triathletes.

Now, I’m not saying all of your friends, or even most of your friends have to be triathletes. But those friends that you do make within the sport should have similar goals, values and work ethic as you. Let me explain.

Triathletes who spend much of their time at the gym or at events with other triathletes with similar goals and values will get an immense boost to their motivation. We tend to share our goals and most intimate parts of our lives with our closest friends. For us as triathletes, we share what motivates and inspires us. This IS in fact a support system.

There is a very big benefit in this. A positive and motivating support system helps us in turn power on when things get difficult. They help keep us on track because we have a sense of accountability to our close circle of friends.

However, those around us must have similar goals and values for this circle of motivation to be effective. Have you ever been around someone who is so much more stoked or enthusiastic about something than you are? It can be a bit much. Or a friend who does not share the same values as you. Sometimes the values (or lack of values) of a close friend can rub off on us. Lazy training partners will often turn ourselves in lazy triathletes.