7 Principles for Achieving Olympic-Sized Success
By: Josef Cruz
Tags: Goal Setting, Goals, Olympics, Athletes, Inspiration

1. Establish a clear goal

I’m not much an athlete myself, but I admire the intense focus that the greatest athletes are able to achieve. Olympic athletes have a very clear goal: win a gold medal. There are incredible clarity and purity to the Olympic dream that helps athletes to focus their training efforts.

Gut check: Are you crystal-clear on your goals? What are you shooting for? If you aren’t sure, take some time to write down your goals and get very specific.

2. Focus on long-term results

An Olympic athlete is not made in a day or even a year. Olympians usually begin training at a young age and understand that they will commit to years of practice and preparation.

They are in the battle for the long haul and don’t expect quick results. It’s also not unusual for Olympians to participate in more than one set of games, which means they could be thinking more than four years down the road.

Gut check: Are you focused on short-term results, or are you in it for the long haul? Do you have goals for one, two, or even five or ten years in the future?

3. Invest in the biggest priorities

Olympians invest countless hours and usually large sums of money to be able to pursue their dreams of Olympic gold. Olympic medals are so valuable because of the incredible cost of what it takes to get one. In the pursuit of gold, these athletes must make tough choices about the priorities in their lives. They invest time, energy, and resources into the main priority of competing in the Olympics.

Gut check: Are you prepared to make big sacrifices in order to achieve your dreams. If so, what are you willing to sacrifice?

4. Abandon an entitlement mentality

Here’s a scenario you will never see at an Olympic medal ceremony: An athlete who didn’t place in the top three spots storms onto the stage and cries, “But I worked just as hard as the winners! I deserve a medal!”

Olympians understand that medals are not given out to those who had the best intentions or felt most deserving of the prize. They are given to those who are truly the best in their field, and they accept the risk that they very well may not win a medal.

Gut check: Are you prepared to work hard to get what you want in life. I mean, seriously work hard? And do you accept full responsibility for the results?

5. Enjoy the journey of growth.

Olympic athletes are not just in it for the gold medal. Sure, that’s what the media focus on, but the athletes realize the process of competing for a medal is much for valuable than the medal itself. In the game of life, it’s more about the process than the prize, more about the journey than the destination.

Gut check: Think about a goal you’re working toward. Are you frustrated and impatient that you haven’t reached it yet, or are you enjoying the process of learning and growing?

6. Train with a good coach

You will have to look very hard to find an Olympic athlete who does not have a coach. Sure, they are talented, but that talent has to be refined and directed, and only an experienced coach can do that. Olympic athletes understand that a great coach opens the doors of possibility. They need outside expertise to help them reach their potential.

Gut check: Who are your coaches and mentors? If you can’t think of any, what’s your plan for getting one as soon as possible?

7. Push through the obstacles

Olympians might be the most persistent individuals around. In their quest to win gold, they inevitably face losses, setbacks, and frustrations of all kinds.

They don’t quit at the first sign of trouble; they push through the obstacles and do what it takes to succeed. They know that you cannot know the thrill of victory until you have experienced the agony of defeat.

Gut check: How do you deal with failure? Do you mope around, feeling sorry for yourself? Or do you press on through failure and turn the boulders on your path into stepping stones to success?

Don’t settle for less than the very best in life. Choose to “go for the gold” and reach for success in your life and creative work. My friend, you can do it!