With World Cup fever about to reach its climax and the Commonwealth Games about to start, I truly enjoy learning from all these very diverse and successful athletes. Whether they win or lose, they are at the top of their profession. There are many parallels we can apply to our business lives, and lessons we can learn from these athletes to aid our own personal and professional development.

Physical: Imagine you have a finely tuned sports car. Would you constantly run it with the wrong type of oil, resulting in less than top performance? Would you expect it to handle in all conditions with nearly threadbare tyres? Your whole physiology is dependent on rest, nutrition and fitness. How much sleep do you need? Top athletes build in periods of rest including good sleep. What is your nutrition like? Are you working hard trying to perform having skipped breakfast and lunch? Your blood-glucose will crash, forcing you to reach for that empty-calorie muffin. Consider low GI foods instead. And yes that ‘e-word’. We all know exercise is not only good for our physical fitness, but importantly it also releases hormones that make us feel better and helps our brain cells to survive longer.

Emotions: Do you see the positives or only the negatives? Do you get along with your boss and colleagues? Is work a challenge or burden? Top athletes have unwavering self-belief. How confident are you? Consider ways to develop your emotional intelligence.

Focus: In the face of numerous failures, top athletes never lose sight of the goal. They do whatever it takes with unrelenting focus. How do you manage your workload to ensure you meet all deadlines? Do your give your best versus winging it or flying by the seat of your pants? Are your working on the right things, or do you procrastinate instead of prioritising?

Purpose: Do you have a sense of purpose about your work? Are your values aligned with the culture at work? Are you satisfied and happy and fully engaged in your endeavours? Athletes are totally clear on their purpose. This is where the real mojo is and moves them forward every day a step closer to success.

Manage yourself proactively, maximise your capabilities, you’ll make better decisions, cope better with pressure and achieve your own personal World Cup victory.