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Over the years I have heard loads of clichés and sayings relating to the power of the mind. Some of them English, some of the Latin. All of them however have one common theme. If you are strong willed, you can achieve anything.

As a boy, I was heavily into swimming. I swam 7 days per week after school and at weekends. We got Christmas and New Year off (plus my Summer Holiday).

Swimming is a lonely sport. The only thing to look at is the tiles on the bottom of the pool or the ceiling, if you are doing Backstroke. As a backstroker, I knew exactly how many lights and air vents there were in nearly every pool in the Leigh and Wigan area.

Training was 90 mins or 2 hours, depending on the day and was almost non stop. Our parents used to sit in the gallery, some with stopwatches and note pads, watching every stroke. I hated it.

A t first it was fun. As a teenager though I felt that I was missing out. I never got to watch any TV programmes my friends watched (no video recorders or SKY + in those days). By the time I got home it was past 8pm and I had to do homework and have supper.

Training seemed pointless to me. I enjoyed 100m races the best so why did I have to swim 400m and more in training? (I now know that I didn't)

Eventually, my coach advised me that to progress, I had to start swimming 12x per week. Before and after school Monday-Friday and Saturday and Sunday mornings. This was the breaking point for me. I would have to give up my paper rounds. This would mean as well as not having a social life Monday- Friday, I would have less money to spend at weekends.

I broke it to my Dad that I wanted a night off. He replied 'if you don't go tonight, I'm not taking you again!'

'Fine' I said.

RESULT.

The reason I am telling you this tale of woe is that as a 12-15r old boy, I wasn't motivated to train. I wanted to race but I wasn't aware that to do well in the galas, I would have to be willing to go through hell 12x per week in training. This was partly my fault and partly the coach's fault. I think I had the physique to make a good swimmer and I should have gone further. I think deep down though, I didn't want to be a swimmer. I wasn't inspired by it. I didn't have the emotional trigger that switched on when the going got tough to push me through.   I simply gave up or slowed down. (I always paced myself in training much to my Dad's annoyance.)

In life, anything worth having should be a challenge, from the job of your dreams, to a wonderful marriage. If it is worth having, it is worth working for.

The battle though is done in the mind. In my bodybuilding career which has seen me win 2 British Titles and place 2 nd and 3 rd in the World in only 4 years, I have used visualisation techniques to help me in numerous ways. I don't mean hypnosis or anything that formal. Here is an example.

When I enter a contest I write the date it in my diary and count backwards the weeks. I know week by week what I have to do and where I need to be in my progress.

I visualise the day.

My family and friends have come to watch. My fiercest competition is watching me prepare. I put myself under some pressure. (Too much sometimes).

I picture my kids and wife's faces being proud when I walk out. I also picture their disappointment if I haven't prepared well and look rubbish.

When I am tempted along my preparation by things such a kids birthday buffets, barbeques, friends nights out, etc. I simply see my family sitting there cringing at my love handles and fat back. I then refuse the Scotch egg, sausage roll, pint of lager and stay on my plan. This is my emotional trigger. It may sound absurd but it works.

Everyone has their own. It may be a wedding, a holiday, a school reunion or something worse like being diagnosed with diabetes. When life's little challenges and tests come along to tempt you to stray from your plan, pull the trigger!! Just make sure you aim straight...

John Heaton