Sports are more than throwing balls, it has deep social and psychological aspects. Although I didn't play football a lot in school, I was a big fan of great footballers. After that, I came to admire Cristiano Ronaldo a lot, besides other players (such as Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski). Those heroes give us valuable lessons in human development, and here I will pick out these seven points from the all-time top scorer in the most popular sport in the world.
1- Work hard: Despite being so rich and famous, Cristiano Ronaldo is still a very hard-working person. He wakes up too early and goes to training before sunrise every day, and he says: "To be in my shoes is not easy." That's something you rarely learn from billionaires such as Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Many people think Cristiano became the best because of his luck or talent, but he says: "Talent without work is nothing."
2- Do extra work: Every normal successful person works, but only the most distinguished persons do extra work. Cristiano says: "You have to work, I try to do it almost every day. This is why I'm in the top level for many years. It's not by coincidence but because I do it extra outside the pitch." However, you have to do it way more smartly and efficiently than others in the field as he says.
3- Stay healthy: Imagine you can easily relax but you resist it. Cristiano gets up early and takes an ice bath around the year including winter. He maintains a military diet with no carbonated sugar drinks, no fried processed meat, and even no alcohol. His teammate Dimitar Berbatov said: "At the Christmas parties we organized the players had a great time, but very professional. I never saw him drink even on those days."
4- Brand yourself: You don't need an MBA in marketing, just watch Cristiano who is the most followed human being on social media currently. Personal branding is one of the needed soft skills these days, which helps you to broaden your employment chances if you are a job seeker, or to increase your sales if you have a business. However, your brand should reflect your values, and that's what Cristiano does.
5- Be authentic: Having fame and money but still being honest and humble, that's very difficult. However, it's not the case with Cristiano. In the Instagram account biography of his CR7 brand, he says: "I don’t take myself too serious but I take what I do very seriously." Many people who have met Cristiano admit that he is a very modest and straightforward man, in spite of all that you see in the media.
6- Compete with yourself: "Focus on yourself, not others." Cristiano says. It is one of the most significant obstacles to success when you compare yourself with others, so just compete with yourself. Don't give a sh*t to idiots, because they are going to hate you whatever you do. Cristiano says: "In my mind, I'm always the best. I don't care what the people think and what they say. In my mind, I'm always the best."
7- Chase the vision: It's more about mindset than a recipe or business plan. Those great people have a great way of thinking about themselves. Likewise, the American internet entrepreneur Tony Hsieh says: "Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you." That is exactly what successful people do like Cristiano who says: "I don't follow the records. The records follow me."
