What Elite Athletes Teach Us About Spiritual Progress

Creating an Elite Athlete.  For most of its history, the British cycling team wasn’t only non-competitive it was just plain bad.  Between 1924 and 1988, British cyclists won exactly zero gold medals.  The sport was dominated by countries like France and Germany.  Yet, by 2012, British cycling had become the most successful cycling nation on earth, with a riders winning back to back Tour de France competitions and the team winning twelve medals in the 2012 Olympics, twice as many as any other nation.  What changed?  How did the former laughing stock become seemingly unstoppable?  In his book Heros, Villians & Velodromes, Dave Brailsford, the director of British cycling reported that the phenomenal change can be boiled down to a single philosophy:  “performance by the aggregation of marginal gains.”    

What does this mean?  Instead of looking for one earth shattering solution (probably because there was not one), look at every aspect of performance and try to improve each a little bit, even just a tenth of a percent.  If you find a training technique that makes an athlete that tiny bit stronger, it alone might not have a huge effect on a race, but if you can stack those very small improvements on one another, soon marginal gains begin to add up to big gaps between you and your competition.

AIS swim coach John Fowlie discussed the sort of timeline you need to develop a champion.  “It’s a long term development.  As you start to construct an athlete’s career, you’re looking over the course of four to eight years, and multiple Olympics.  Let’s say you’re within a second of a gold medal.  That’s a huge amount of time.  But, what if you can get a tiny bit faster every day?  Less than a hundredth of a second, but each day for two years.”  Improvement accrues like interest.  Each day might seem small; each facet might seem like a tiny factor.  But as you add them all up, you’ve made a real difference.

Importance of Consistency.  Elder Bednar taught this same principal of consistency in the small things is the path toward spiritual progress.  “[E]ach family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls.  … our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results.  … Consistency is a key principal as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become diligent and concerned in our homes.”

Gary E. Stephenson taught that “in the same way that certain steps are essential in the performance of an Olympic athlete … so it is in our lives, where certain things are absolutely essential—checkpoints which move us through our spiritual performances on earth.”  “Consider our pathway to eternal life is very similar to these athletes’ performances.  … [While we are on this earth], our actions will determine whether we win the prize of eternal life."  The prophet Amulek described, “This life is the time … to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day … to perform your labors.”

Elder Stephenson continued, “Self-discipline is needed. Daily prayer, scripture study, and church attendance must be the foundation of our training.  A consistent pattern of obeying the commandments, keeping the covenants you have made, and following the Lord’s standards is required.”

 Sanctification and Consistency. In this life, we are trying to become sanctified. Sanctification is the purification from the effects of sin. In Heleman, we learn that sanctification comes “by yielding our hearts unto God.” (Hel. 3:35) The reason that even little diversions from the commandments and the path of discipleship are significant, is they shape our spiritual training.

            For me, consistency in small increments is much more difficult than large bursts of energy or performance.  Rather than do something for 30 minutes a day, it would be easier for me to add up the time and do it once a week.  The reason the consistency is so much more difficult is it is the consistency that changes character.  This is by Heavenly design. 
 

            I have lived outside of Utah for the majority of my life.  This frequently brings even well intentioned questions as to why not “just one drink” “just one movie,” or the recurring favorite… “just one night.”  It can’t possibly have an impact…just do it once.  While one side step may not be the beginning of a larger diversion, it misses the larger point.

           Think of spiritual progression as a linear continuum, with each opportunity in life as a chance to step forward, step back or stay in the same place.  The reason that a philosophy that “I will just do what I want now and repent later” is so short sighted is that, even though the spiritual cost of a sin can be repair through the Atonement, the opportunity cost can never be regained.  On our continuum, a backward step comes at the opportunity cost of two forward steps.  A failure to take a step at all, comes at the opportunity cost of one step forward.  By taking a backward step, we are missing the opportunity to become that much incrementally more sanctified and Christlike by wasting an opportunity to take a forward step.  A handful of backward steps start to yield a noticeable difference between where we are and where we could be.

So why do the little things and consistency in living the gospel wherever we are matter?  Does it make a difference in the grand scheme of things?  The answer is overwhelmingly yes!  It goes to the fundamental purpose of progression.  Progression is not about accumulating as many checks as possible on a spiritual report card.  Progression is not a Pass/Fail class.  Rather, as Elder Oaks taught, “in contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”  We will ultimately be judged not by what we have done… but “the conditions we have achieved” or what we have become.  "It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions.  The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”

"Do Good. Be Good."  Elder Oaks recounted a parable where a wealthy father knew that if he were to bestow his wealth upon a child who had not yet developed the needed wisdom and stature, the inheritance would probably be wasted.  The father said to his child:

          “All that I have I desire to give you—not only my wealth, but also my position and standing among men.  That which I have I can easily give you, but that which I am you must obtain for yourself.  You will qualify for your inheritance by learning what I have learned and by living as I have lived.  [How?  And this is the ultimate illustration] I will give you the laws an principles by which I have acquired my wisdom and stature.  Follow my example, mastering as I have mastered, and you will become as I am, and all that I have will be yours.”
         
             This concept and truth for shaping behavior and character is not limited to teachings by prophets and apostles.  Rather, its effectiveness is regularly reinforced by social science research and even ancient philosophies.  The beauty of living in a universe governed by natural laws is that fundamental truth will be ascertained by social researchers seeking to explain consequences independent of religion. 

In his so-called “Do Good/Be Good Principle,” Aristotle explained that people acquire virtues “by first having them put into action…we become just people by the practice of just actions, learn self control by exercising self-control and become courageous by performing acts of courage.” Aristotle continued that the best way to teach a child to be virtuous, was for the parent to exhibit virtue in his character.

Power of Habit.  A paper published by a Duke University researcher in 2006 found that more than 40 percent of the actions people performed each day weren’t actually decisions, but habits.  In 1892, William James wrote, “All of our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits.”  Most of the choices we make each day may feel like the products of well-considered decisions making, but they’re not.  They’re habits.  In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg indicates that “although each habit means relatively little on its own, over time, our actions have enormous impacts on our lives…” and I would expand our spirituality, our testimonies, and ultimately, the degree to which we are progressing and becoming more sanctified.

Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “Our Father in Heaven has given us tools to help us come unto Christ and exercise faith in His Atonement,  when these tools become fundamental habits, they provide the easiest way to find peace in the challenges of mortality.” For example, contrast t(i) he sons of Mosiah on one hand with (ii) Laman and Lemuel on the other.  The sons of Mosiah were strengthened by their personal habits of obedience, scripture study, prayer, and fasting.  Yet, the lack of these same habits was a major reason that Laman and Lemuel were left vulnerable to the temptation to murmur and doubt.

So it is with our path to true conversion.  Elder Christopherson taught that the aggregation of these little things – desire, submissiveness to God, study, prayer, service, repentance and obedience .. coupled with your worship and activity in Church will come testimony and conversation.  The gospel won’t be just an influence in your life –it will be what you are! 

Elder Oaks taught, “The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan by which we can become what children of God are supposed to become.  [Just like an average athlete becomes an elite athlete through the aggregation of marginal gains], This spotless and perfect state will result from a steady succession of covenants, ordinances, and actions an accumulation of right choices, and from continuing repentance.  … This is achieved not just by doing what is right, but by doing it for the right reason—for the pure love of Christ.” 

What Is Our Spiritual Progress Meter?  In my own athletic endeavors, I am a data geek.  I collect toys that report and aggregate data to assess progress—heart rate monitors, power meters, cadence sensors, GPS programs, body fat percentage…and the list goes on.  These can collect datapoints regarding power and speed and body composition…all of which aggregate together to assess progress.

How do we measure our progress toward sanctification?  Elder Oaks taught, “If we are losing our desire to do evil, we are progressing toward our heavenly goal. … The Apostle Paul said that persons who have received the Spirit of God ‘have the mind of Christ.’  I understand this to mean that persons who are proceeding toward the needed conversion are beginning to see things as our Heavenly in Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, see them.  They are hearing His voice instead of the voice of the world, and they are doing things in His way instead of by the ways of the world.”