Every four years, we get the opportunity to watch the best athletes in the world compete in the Olympics. Personally, seeing these athletes compete is very inspiring. Regardless of whether they win the gold medal, to simply make it to the Olympic stage is a feat unto itself. To become an Olympian is not something that happens overnight. While we get the joy of watching them compete, what we don’t see are the four years of blood, sweat, and tears that enabled them to get to that stage. And while most of us won’t become Olympians, the lessons we can learn from them can be applied in our daily lives to become champions in our own right. Here are five such lessons we can learn from these Olympians
- Find something you are passionate about
- To put in the amount of effort needed to be successful in any endeavor requires some level of passion. If, for example, you are seeking to establish a new business, there will be days when the last thing you want to do is put in work because of the difficulty of getting things off the ground. There must be a genuine love or, when things get difficult, it will be easy to give up. So, before beginning any endeavor, find something that you are passionate about.
- Be disciplined
- Talent and passion will only take you so far. The best of the best in any industry are also the most disciplined. Olympians understand that every good athlete trains. To separate themselves from good athletes, they have to also ensure that they are watching what they eat, how often they sleep, what they are even thinking about. Those things are what separates the Olympians from the rest of the pack. In your endeavors, understand that there will be other areas beyond work that you will need to discipline yourself in, so that you can excel in your work. Whatever that is will, or course, vary depending on what you are trying to accomplish. The key is to think through what those areas are that can give you a competitive advantage and make the subsequent adjustments to separate yourself from the pack.
- Success requires sacrifice
- We can’t do it all (even though sometimes we like to think that we can). Olympians understand that in order to become a gold medalist means that they are going to have to make sacrifices. There will be some things in your life that you may need to cut back on or even eliminate if it will help you go to the next level. Of course, there are going to be non-negotiables that I would never recommend cutting back on. But, trust me, there are plenty of things in your life that are not non-negotiable that may be hampering your success. What are those things that you may need to sacrifice in order to excel?
- Consistency and diligence are key for growth
- To be a gold medalist, it’s not just about training. It’s about training regularly. It’s about getting up and, regardless of whether you feel like it or not, putting in the work. Consistency is an absolute must if you want to excel. Anyone can work hard for one or two days. Are you willing to work hard consistently for 5-6 days rain or shine? Are you willing to put in work even on days when your peers may be sleeping in? Are you willing to work even when everything in you wants to slack off?
- Be focused
- The difference between a flashlight beam and a laser beam is how focused the light is. The more focused the light, the more intense and powerful the light becomes. Likewise, success in your endeavors is going to require focus. Olympians are like laser beams, intensely focused on their goals. That is why they can rise to the top of their sport. If you want to rise to the top, be like a laser beam, not a flashlight. When you are attempting to do a million different things, none of those things end up getting done well. However, when you focus in on just those areas necessary to become the best, it is amazing how quickly you can rise to the top.
These are just a few of the things that we can learn from Olympians. So, as you set out to be the best version of yourself for work, school, new business venture, or anything else, think and train like an Olympian, and watch yourself rise to the top.