The Olympics have come and gone. No matter what country we're from, the world was united with the goal of cheering on their national athletes, no matter the sport. Whether you were rooting for Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps, all Olympians deserve to be praised simply for the fact that they got that far. There aren't that many of us that get to say that we reached the highest possible level of competition, and those that are fortunate enough to get there have worked hard their entire lives for the opportunity.
While the difference between Olympic athletes and the rest of us that make them extraordinary, there are steps that we can take to get where we want in our life.
1. Confidence and Focus
Athletes that are on the top of their game don't get their overnight. They set goals, and know the steps it takes to get there. Many of them experience intense training schedules from a young age, and have to exercise due diligence about sticking to them. These intense schedules allow them to balance their time between development of all aspects of their lives. Like Olympic athletes, it is important to stay focused and do what is required of us to achieve our goals. More importantly, in order to continue on the right track, we have to be confident in not only our abilities, but our decisions.
2. Humility
"Humility, what does that have to do with being great in life?"
It has everything to do with it. As I mentioned earlier, without confidence in our abilities it would be impossible to reach anywhere, but at the same time, mistakes are inevitable. At some point in our life, whether it's an athletic career or otherwise, mistakes that we make are what keep us humble. It may feel great to make that big company sell, or win the gold medal, but setbacks in our lives force us to reflect and reevaluate.
3. Respect and Integrity
As we "move up the food chain" in life, one of the most important things to remember is respect for those around us, and having integrity in our decision making. In golf, it is up to the player to call a penalty upon himself, even if no one is there to see, and that is having integrity. Playing by the rules of any sport, and following simple ethics is a key ingredient to getting further along in life.
4. You can dream as big as you want.
No matter how young, how small, how physically limited you may be, everyone deserves to and should dream as big as they want. Take the little boy who had his picture taken with Michael Phelps at age 8, only to compete against him in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Several olympians sustain terrible injuries throughout their careers, and even through the olympic events. For the first time in history, countries such as Syria and The Congo suffering from war and political explosions sent refugee teams to represent their countries. Qualifying for the Olympics was not necessarily their biggest challenges to overcome. The Olympics features athletes from all walks of life, all to compete at the same games. Like these athletes, we should not let our fears or stressors limit us to just playing life safely.
5. Celebrate all the victories, even the small ones.
Many people watching the Olympics would not care much for those qualifying in their heats if it was not a semi final match. However, it is an achievement in itself making it to the Olympics, and even more so qualifying to move forward through to the semis. All victories should be celebrated whether they are "small" or "big", because they all take you a step closer to where you want to be.
6. The three P's: Passion, Patience and Perseverance
Passion:
You don't need to have the world's most expensive coach or training facility, but if you have PASSION for what you do, your tasks ahead will be rewarding simply for the fact that you are doing what makes you happy. Achieving your goals no matter what they are comes down to those that are willing to put in the bare time and effort for it. Having a passion for what you do helps to fuel the mental endurance that is required to get where we want to in life.
Patience:
The Olympics takes place every four years. Olympic athletes don't just train all their lives and automatically make it to the Olympics. It takes at least four years of prior qualifications, and before they can even get to the World Games, they have to qualify several times before that. Nothing is given to you instantly. It takes years of hard work to develop the raw talent that they possess, and many more years of performing. There was an athlete from Trinidad and Tobago that almost lost his life in a freak accident in December of 2015. After serious recuperation and refocusing his life, he still made it to the 2016 Rio Olympics despite his injuries and finished well. Healing of the body never happens overnight. Similarly, in our lives, we know that certain things may take weeks, or even years of hard work and dedication to come around, but those that are successful are the ones that stick around and continue working hard.
Perseverance:
Patience and perseverance are not to be confused to be the same thing. Both are just as important in being the best you can be at something. Have you ever run a race where you can't feel your legs anymore? Have you swam so fast it felt like your lungs were about to explode? Would you have what it takes to finish that race beyond your best abilities no matter how bad the pain is?
Perseverance (n): "Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success" (Oxford Dictionary, 2016)
Having the will to keep to those intense training schedules and to continually have people depending on you to perform seems daunting to the average Joe, but to Olympic athletes, it is their way of life. Finish the race no matter what. Keep training your mind even if your body is injured. What can you do to keep improving despite the limitations?
For all of us, we may or may not know where we want to end up in life, but we can reach to any point by sticking to our guns and continuing no matter how much the pressure can reach us. Whether your in college and taking 18 credits of classes every semester because you want to finish in three years, or you want to learn how to fish so you can enjoy it more, whatever your goal, stick to the journey and the results will be more than you could have ever expected.
