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“What Help Me Get Out of Bed”- Michael Phelps Shares How He Motivates Himself Post Retirement

Published 05/19/2022, 8:30 AM EDT

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Every person intends to achieve a particular set of objectives in life. These may vary from person to person. But they will certainly have targets they want to fulfill in life. These targets become the motivation in one’s life. And being the winningest athlete in swimming makes the motivational factors of Michael Phelps all the more interesting to know.

In his prolific career, Phelps secured a record 28 medals in the Olympics alone. Surely one does not reach this level without having goals. It takes years of hard work and dedication for athletes to make it to the trials.

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Phelps emphasizes having goals in life

Recently, Phelps revealed that keeping goals has kept him motivated after retiring from competitive swimming. Adding more on the subject, the former Olympian said, “You know, dream, plan, reach. It’s a motto that I’ve used throughout my whole entire career.”

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During the interview, the athlete emphasized that he found solace in the swimming pool. Reminiscing his glory days, Phelps said“You know, the pool for me was everything. You know, it was kind of like my safe haven, my calm place.”

“I had goals of making an Olympic team. You come up with a dream, you figure out a plan on how you’re going to get there, and you reach for it,” the swimmer said, highlighting his objective of representing his country in the Summer Games early on.

But one is not likely to succeed in the first attempt itself. Hence, the athlete has a suggestion for this too. In the event of an unsuccessful attempt, Michael suggests, “If it doesn’t work, go back to the drawing board and figure out a different plan.”

Michael Phelps post-retirement Goals

Now that the Olympian has retired, his daily routines seem very different, and so do his goals. However, Phelps has continued his practice of having goals in life.

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Expounding on the subject, he said, “That’s what I try to do now on land. I’m trying to have little, small goals with my foundation, with my family, personally. And those are what help me get out of bed every single day. And honestly, that’s what a goal should do. That’s what moves me.”

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Although his goals are now different from what they used to be, they are still goals. What has changed is that the focus has shifted from his performance and events to family and work.

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WATCH THIS STORY- Michael Phelps Looks Unreal in His New Look as He Prepares for His Ice Bath

It is, therefore, crucial to have goals in life to keep on a path away from distractions. And when spoken by the most accomplished Olympian of all time, one better believe it!

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Written by:

Aklanta Chetia

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Aklanta Chetia Wanniang is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi. With an interest in learning about multiple sports, Aklanta himself is a former sportsperson and has participated in state and national level swimming events.
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Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa