Think and grow like an Olympian

They possess physical and mental abilities as well as strengths unlike any other human beings. They are Olympians; the greatest athletes in the world. They became so; not by luck, not by genes, but by hard work and determination. Much can be learned from these athletes to help us achieve greatness in both our personal and business lives.

Know what you want

Even before these athletes enter into an Olympic trial, they know what they want. They want to win a medal and stand on that podium with it around their neck. But not just any medal, the gold medal. Very few Olympians strive to win the bronze. Before you set out on your journey, figure out exactly what you want. Don’t be afraid to dream big. Make your goals harder to achieve and you’ll achieve amazing results.

Know how you’re going to get there

Olympians know that they’ll have to train everyday for months at a time to prepare. They also know this means they’ll have to get up before the sun does to stay one step ahead of their competitors. You’ll have to do the same. Write down a daily plan of action. Look at it every day to keep you moving towards your goals. Sometimes you’ll also want to be very specific with your plans. Olympians know how many laps in the pool they’ll have to do or how many baskets they’ll have to make before they can rest.

Self-discipline is crucial

When they aren’t exercising, Olympians still need to remain in training mode. They have to eat better and they can’t abuse their bodies in any way. This is where their self-discipline becomes so necessary. Their trainers can’t be with them all the time, nor should they. You are going to need every ounce of self-discipline you have. The road to success can be lonely at times with very few people encouraging you along the way.

Sacrifices are mandatory

Olympians sacrifice free time, family time, and even miss work for their training. You’re going to have to do the same. There will be times when you’ll lose a few hours of sleep or have to skip a meal or two. If you want to achieve your goals, it’ll be worth it.

Repetition = practice; practice makes nearly perfect

Nothing is perfect in life, but practice gets you almost to it. Olympic swimmers swim lap after lap, Olympic runners run lap after lap. You have to stick with it when chasing success; and that often means doing the same things over and over. Each time you get knocked down, you’ve got to get back up. And each time you do get up, you’ll be stronger than the last.

Be your toughest critic

Olympic athletes are rarely satisfied with their best times or best scores. They know they can do even better, despite their trainers and others praising them. You know yourself best, so why not be your toughest critic? You’re aware of your strengths and capabilities so you know when you can be doing more. However, be sure to never berate yourself, only use your criticism to encourage yourself.

Capitalize and diversify

Success breeds more success. Most of the famous Olympic athletes capitalize on their success and move into other projects. They do sponsorships, camps, TV shows, anything you can think of. Once you achieve one of your goals, try something new, it’ll challenge you and keep your life exciting.

Celebrate, and then get back to work

Olympic athletes celebrate in Olympic fashion, but it doesn’t last for long. These athletes begin preparing for their next competitions or for the next Olympics. You should celebrate and enjoy your successes both big and small; but you shouldn’t be totally content. Create new goals for you to begin tackling.

Photo from pingnews

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This article was published on Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Misc, Success. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Think and grow like an Olympian”

1. M!hai @ Freshome says:
   August 4th, 2008 at 4:51 am

   “They want to win a medal and stand on that podium with it around their neck. But not just any medal, the gold medal.”

   This row is really inspiring and worth remembering.

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