- Geekmaster
- 2021-12-22 09:43:32
- 20 minute(s)
5 Life Lessons From Former Professional Footballer David Beckham
Former English professional soccer player, David Beckham, is perhaps one of the most famous football players in history; and this is due not just for his abilities in the field. With more than 20 years of professional play on the pitch, he’s regarded as one of the all time greats thanks to his passing precision and his ability to make the ball bend or curl to his liking every time he kicked it. From dealing with pressure, to being a role model, David Beckham has insights to share into the most important life lessons he’s learnt along his journey.
Unlike other high-rolling celebrities who tend to burn out and lose their money and mind, David Beckham has somehow maintained a solid character and positive outlook.
And according to the man himself, this is all due to his family — in addition to a few other key areas that he believes can help us all be just that little bit happier. He’s a committed family man, and a passionate believer in the value of wellness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Whoever fashioned the name “Bend it like Beckham”, sure knew what the iconic England footballer David Beckham stands for.
A man with multiple talents, acute business sense, looks like a German god with a chiseled body to die for plus a heart of gold which beats fiercely for his family — one might think this such man can only be in fantasy and imagination. Actually, David Beckham can inspire everyone to take risks in life, perform to the best of one’s abilities and always keep on improving.
As if it wasn’t enough, David Beckham had a successful career as a football player and made a fortune from it.
It isn’t often that professional athletes are able to transform their abilities on the field into mogul and entrepreneur status, but some manage to make the leap. There’s Magic Johnson, and there’s Michael Jordan, and there have been others over the years, but few figures loom larger than David Beckham.
Here are five simple and important life lessons you can learn from former professional footballer David Beckham.
Last but not least, his wife, Victoria Beckham, was a former member of the Spice Girls, a British pop girl group who had several worldwide hits in the 1990’s. David Beckham also endorses several luxury brands and his image is seen in billboards around the world. With David Beckham’s celebrity status, his life on and off the football field is often documented in the news; and there are some important life lessons we can learn from him.
David Beckham Lessons #1: Aim for The Best
David Beckham was once heard to have said “As a footballer, you always want to test yourself against the best.” This quote is remarkable because it is reflective of his attitude of always aiming for the best. Although Beckham was not the best soccer player in the world, he had solid football skills and used them to play for two of the world’s top soccer teams, Manchester United and Real Madrid. He was known by his teammates as someone who always gave his all at the pitch, whether in a game or in practice. His work ethic was also exemplary and inspired others to do the same.
Being successful requires dedication and commitment towards your goal.
Players like Beckham have had years of training, working a countless number of hours in order to get to where they are right now. In addition, for different people, it takes different speeds to get to the top because it all depends on your own personal and professional development. You have to constantly work on it and put in the time. Talent will get you far, but if you’re hoping to truly find success, you’ve got to spend lots of time honing your skills and perfecting your craft. It takes hours of practice, along with lots of dedication; according to Beckham, it’s the only way you’re going to get better. In fact, Beckham’s famous bending of the ball is the result of hours upon hours of kicking balls into goals to perfect the move.
Many people do not accomplish it. They dream that they start working on them when it is too late.
It is good to know what you want to be early enough to start preparing your career path. For David Beckham, the goal was always to leave as a champion. While some footballers and other athletes stay on the playing field until they’re no longer relevant, Beckham felt it was important to go out on top. The same holds true for entrepreneurs of all stripes: don’t let your star dim too much, and don’t let your relevance just fade away. It’s time to walk away when you’re still on top, not when you’ve lost everything and can no longer get it back.
David Beckham has said
David Beckham has saidYou get what you settle for, if you settle for mediocrity you will get misery.
It is so easy to settle for the sheep life, enslaved to a life of another individuals making, many people sell themselves short on what they can truly accomplish, most people do not even try that hard, but they think within their mind that where they are is all that they can do and be. So many people just settle for a garbage low-level life, struggling to live because they have not self-educated themselves on how to live a better quality of life. If you want better, you must do better.
Focus on the key skills, focus on self-mastery, so that you may elevate your life to a whole new level.
Many people do not see that they have something greater within them, the potential is within each and every human being to accomplish amazing things, you just have to go to work on developing the right skills that will enable you to live life on a whole new level. What is within the so-called greats is within you too, do not be fooled by the great heights that they have got to as if they have been endowed with some special gifts that make them superhuman, it is hard work and dedication that develops an individual’s inner strength so that they may attain success.
David Beckham Lessons #2: Impossible is Nothing
We’ve been conditioned to believe that some things we’re capable of, and some we aren’t. But there are no limits to possibility. You get to decide what’s possible in your life. Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that: dreams. And our aspirations collect dust in the attic. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self-actualization, we get caught up in the day-to-day, just barely existing. But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.
If you believe in yourself, nothing is impossible.
This is especially the case when you find yourself in a low place — you’re discouraged and you lack confidence, and you just don’t know how you’re going to ever become a success. But deep down, you do know: you have faith in your abilities, and you know you’re capable, and you trust your ideas and your intuition. You can achieve anything you want as long as you believe in yourself. A favorite expression of Beckham’s that helps to illustrate this point is, “It’s a round world.” What he means by this is that even if things go down, they’re able to circle back around again. With enough time, enough work, and enough motivation, you can always get yourself back on top.
Everybody makes mistakes some or the other time. Even the perfectionist suffer in various ways.
Because of being perfect, they may set higher goals and feel defeated at times they are not able to reach those goals. So, before moving forward you do not have to wait until everything is perfect. Even after being perfect, you can lose or win, but if you do not take a step, you will never cross that threshold. Learn from your mistakes and do not be discouraged to take the next step forward. David Beckham does not see himself as a celebrity but as a hardworking footballer. He has worked very hard to become a celebrated soccer player and earn significant accolades. He had to train and practice almost every day during his active days to be the best.
Truth is there are no limits in life, only those we choose to impose on ourselves.
And no matter how hard we will try to justify to ourselves why we’re not living the life we deep down inside know that we’re meant to be living, the truthful side of us will know that all the stories we tell ourselves are just that, stories… It’s not easy to admit the truth to yourself and to do whatever it takes to live a life that has a purpose, and that has meaning. But if you do, not only will you find long-lasting happiness, but you will also inspire your children, your family, your friends and everyone you come in contact with to do the same. To live their lives in a truthful, honest and authentic way, and to never settle for anything less than extraordinary.
Give yourself permission to dream the impossible dream.
Whatever experiences, people, places or pursuits you have until now been too afraid or ashamed or cautious to seek, start seeking them out today! Follow your bliss and your life can be transformed for the better. And who knows, realizing your dream may help others to realize theirs. Making the impossible possible is about being true to your life’s happiness and the higher calling within you. You never know, you may find a different, more brilliant dream on your way? We have all been there, looking at something and wishing we had it. The girl, the car, the money, the family, the lifestyle…but then we tell ourselves “Yeah, but that’s not me”. The people who get that are cut from a different cloth and we keep telling ourselves that until it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
David Beckham Lessons #3: Family is Important
David Beckham is a family man. Today, he is often photographed spending time with his wife and four children. In 2000, while with Manchester United, he missed training to take care of his son who was sick and was fined 50,000 pounds as a consequence. When he was playing professional football, big decisions about his career were made only after consulting with his family. While others might put more weight on how much money will be earned or what will be best for a career, David Beckham’s primary consideration is always his family.
Work life balance is a challenge for everyone, but when it’s all said and done, your top priority has to be your children and your family.
Jobs will come and go, and opportunities will too, but your spouse and your kids and your loved ones will be there through it all, and you need to put them first. This is what David Beckham and his wife Victoria do: no matter how much he has to train, no matter how many professional commitments she has, they always put each other and their children first. It comes as no surprise, then, that amidst all the rocky celebrity marriages, theirs has held strong for more than 16 years.
You are more than your job. Make sure that you cultivate each part of your life — home, work, community, and self.
When you get to the end of your life, you won’t wish you spent more time online or working. You’ll wish you’d had more time with the people you love. You’ll wish you spent more time cultivating strong, meaningful relationships and making memories that live on after you’re gone. The people that you consider to be your family should be a major priority in your life, always. The memories you make with them will be the things you treasure over everything else. Stand by them when things get tough.
According to David Beckham, it is easy to work on your career if your private life is good.
That is why he tries his best to make sure he is on good terms with his family and friends. The football star believes that he could not have accomplished his career goals if he did not sort out his private life. You cannot focus on your career if you have personal issues that are pulling you back. Thus, it is prudent to sort out your private matters so that they do not affect your career growth. Establish a good relationship with your family and friends so that they can be there for you when you need them.
We all have professional interests, hobbies, social interests etc. but prioritizing family means recognizing that these interests need to be secondary to raising a family.
In Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, he reminds us that if we lose our job, we can find another one, if we lose our house, we can find another home, but family is irreplaceable. To be able to put family first, we have to see our family members as our most precious investment. One’s professional role is temporary, but one’s role in the family will never end. The place to start is not with the assumption that work is non-negotiable; it’s with the assumption that family is non-negotiable. That one shift of mind-set opens the door to all kinds of creative possibilities.
David Beckham Lessons #4: Love What You Do
David Beckham wanted to be a footballer ever since he was a very young child, and it’s that love that’s carried him through a successful career on the field. If you want to be a success in any field, you have to love your work. In fact, you have to love it so much that you’d still do it even if you weren’t being paid.
Think about it: An average person spends 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime.
That’s on third of your life, which doesn’t even include working extra hours or thinking about work. It’s a no-brainer to find a job you love. Our lives are so incredibly short, which is why you need to maximize your impact, time, and resources to live your best life. This is also part of the reason why people are so eager to uncover their life purpose and do work they truly love. That said, you can find meaning in anything. You don’t have to be the big cog in the machine because every cog matters. Even when one tiny cog is missing, the machine won’t work. Be grateful for the contribution you get to make. If you look for it, you will find meaning and purpose in your work.
When you are loving life and living it to the full, new opportunities arise.
Finding what you love to do may elude you if you give up on your dreams, live in fear and possess a scarcity mindset or simply cannot be bothered to take the time to find out what you truly desire. When you love what you do, the world is your oyster. When you love what you do, you have so much energy people want you to bottle it to give them some. A positive mind, a loving heart and engagement in your work creates fulfillment and meaning. Take the time to discover what you truly desire, it is worth the fight.
David Beckham has said
Even after achieving huge success in life, people often seek personal fulfillment and peace in their lives.
Your life is much more than getting paid and having fat paychecks. You’ll feel fulfilled only when you see yourself growing and grooming with your work. If you are only doing the things which are driven by your passion then it will never leave you in boredom. Because you’ve chosen this and it will not be a chore to you. You will always enjoy doing your tasks and it will always be much easier for you to get even through the hardships.
The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.
You will be amazed at the number of people who are frustrated with what they do, and they are always waiting for the day when their torture will come to an end. Identify that one fact about what you do that is unique, interesting, challenging, exciting, and fulfilling. There is always something about every kind of job that gets one excited and fulfilled. It can be serving people, leading people, manufacturing an amazing and important product and so on. There is always a joy in offering services or products that humans need. Find that thing that excites you. Also, always have it at the back of your mind that because of what you do, someone else will be happy. When you believe that you can make someone else happy, you will find your happiness.
David Beckham Lessons #5: Bounce Back
Probably one of the lowest points in David Beckham’s career was when he was sent off a match against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. Since England lost the match and was eliminated, he was blamed for the loss by the English media and soccer fans. As a result, Beckham became the target of criticisms and abuse; and spectators were even taunting him during matches. However, he bounced back and became England’s team captain in 2000 and became a national hero again when he helped the national team qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
There will be many times in your life where you will be judged, criticized and frowned upon, especially in the world of business.
David Beckham has had his great share of criticism, but nothing has stopped him from reaching the top; it all comes down to how he handles any obstacle that comes his way. Yes, there are things in our lives that we may feel badly about, but all of those difficulties and challenges and even failures build us into our present selves. You can’t regret any of them, because they make you stronger, teach you valuable lessons, and are all part of the overall journey. Beckham insists that he has no regrets, and that’s one of the reasons he’s had such a fulfilling career.
David Beckham showed strength of character in his ability to bounce back from adversity.
He did not allow criticism to derail him; instead, he put time and effort into improving his craft and proved his critics wrong by displaying his leadership qualities and skills as a player. When you’re leading a team or organization, there will be times when you’re faced with criticism or difficult situations. The ability to bounce back from tough times is key for any leader — learn to be resilient and stay focused on your goals. If you stay the course and continue working on your vision, your success will ultimately win over your critics.
Nobody is perfect; the important thing is to learn from your mistakes.
Successful people know that they can’t escape failure on the road to the top. So, instead of getting down and out about it, they reframe their experience. To them, failure means they’re doing something right. They got off the couch to make something happen. Failure is a sure sign they’ve stepped out of their comfort zone and into new territory in their life and business. Failure is just a signal that tells them they’re moving to new, and higher levels of achievement. They open themselves up to failure and quickly move on after each one. By experiencing it again and again, they’ve learned that failure doesn’t kill you. It just makes you stronger. Unsuccessful people allow themselves to be dragged down by minor setbacks. Even small judgments and criticisms or a little negative feedback stops them in their tracks.
Perspective is everything. Stop looking at failure as a stop sign.
It may prove to be a detour, a pause or a re-routing in how you thought you would get to a certain destination. But it is not a stop sign. Only you have the power to turn a failure into a stop in your journey. With that being said, find a meaning that works for you and supports you in growing from your experience. Frame your thinking around the meaning of failure. There is no such thing as failure along the way in your dream journey. There are, however, challenges that will support you in growing, learning more about yourself, strengthening your resilience, and ironically, moving you forward into your purpose along the way.
Wrapping Up
Wherever you are and whatever endeavor you may be engaged in, you will be sure to encounter criticisms one way or the other. Instead of getting discouraged, you can follow David Beckham’s example: use criticisms as a motivation to work harder and be better than before. By transforming a setback into an advantage, you can prove your critics wrong.
Everyone’s definition of success is different, and there is no right or wrong success.
Sure, not all of us are going to want to be or to meet famous people, hit grand slams, win World Cups, marry a pop star, or have our face (or our body for that matter) on a billboard. Figure out what you want in your life and work towards it by reminding yourself of these five points. Just remember, it is your life and your success. It is for you, not for anyone else. Choose to do something about it.
Nothing comes free in life unless you are lucky to win a lottery.
You need to work hard in whatever you are doing until you realize your dreams. Good plans cannot change your life if you do not implement them. You have to supplement big dreams with hard work if you want to stand out from your peers. Hitting success is nothing but finding new ground to break, making moves that others may not be willing to do and blazing a path for the next generation that comes after you.
Think about it right now: What legacy do you want to leave?
David Beckham will be missed on the soccer field, but for these reasons he is likely to remain a powerful role model and brand for many more years. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!
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