Watching the Olympics is inspirational to most of us. Athlete after athlete has exercised incredible determination to reach his or her goal – that Olympic dream of Gold. Few athletes say “I’m going for the bronze medal!” No, they want it all and say “I’m going for the Gold!” Still, while everyone prefers to win the gold, most athletes who don’t reach the top prize still say they leave the Games relishing the experience and learning valuable lessons from it. For most of them, they know they pursued their goals with all they had in them.
Can we be any less when it comes our business, even our life’s journey? Shouldn’t we look at our goals and pursue them with the same vigor, the same determination as an Olympic athlete?
I know, you say the athletes have all the resources they need to put them within reach of their goals and that is true. They make the conscious decision early to invest in themselves. They eat right, they get the proper sleep and they surround themselves with people on their their team who will encourage them to go for their dream, to push themselves even when they would prefer to quit. They ignore others who tell them they should give up. These extraordinary athletes realize that it is a journey that they don’t and shouldn’t take alone.
For example, Usain Bolt, the fastest man alive, says he hates early mornings. In fact, he is not too fond of training at all, but he does what it takes to reach his goal. Even as a youngster running in the stadium in his native country for the first time, he says the track was hot and burned his feet. That was because he didn’t have any shoes. Still, he ran. He didn’t use no shoes as an excuse not to run or to give up.
Michael Phelps, the extraordinary Olympic swimmer, says, “even if you stumble in life you must pick yourself back up and continue your quest.” If you remember, he had some very public stumbles.
Often, Olympic athletes know the meaning of sacrifice. Over the course of years, they give up many things to be at the top. Gymnast Simone Biles gave up proms, going to football games and many other experiences that we think of as a part of our teen years. Can you make sacrifices to be successful; to be at the top of your game? Will you put in the extra hours to attain your dreams?
Treat your business as if you are training for the Olympics. Be focused, be single minded, be determined. Run even if your feet are hot and burn. Surround yourself with a team of partners. Allow yourself to be coached and continually learn from others. Make wise choices because they will stay with you for the long run. Appreciate your competition. They spur you on.
Take a lesson from Olympic athlete playbook. Develop a mindset to win. If you are not attacking each day at your peak and using all of your resources, change that mindset of just getting by. Be your own champion. and just like the athlete, don’t forget to enjoy the journey.
