The great Olympians of history didn’t just hear about the competition a few weeks or months in advance of the games and decide, "Hey that sounds like fun!" For many, the dream began as a very young child and required a dedication and commitment that literally made them different than most normal people.

With the Games in Athens about to begin, I’m reminded of what it takes to make it as an Olympian:

They Dream and plan for success

Olympians saw themselves competing in the arena and standing on the podium receiving the Gold Medal long ago, when they were very small children. They found out that they needed to plan and to train virtually every day. The desire to fulfill the Dream became the focus of their lives and they worked the details of their plan each and every day until they arrived where they are now, in Athens. Success requires both a dream and a plan.

Willingness to sacrifice

My daughter began gymnastics at the age of 3. She was very petite and she took to it like a duck to water. After about a year, the head of the gym, who had worked with past Olympic athletes, came to us suggesting that our daughter had what it takes to be part of that "Dream", and that he would personally be her coach.

But after explaining that the next 10 – 15 years of her life would be spent at the gym, and that the coaching staff would basically become her new family, we decided against taking him up on the offer. We weren’t willing to make that type of sacrifice.

On the other hand, now that our daughter is older and has set other athletic goals, she has had to give up many things to achieve those goals. Rather than hang out with friends, she spends several hours each day practicing. And because she wants a college scholarship, she also spends at least 2-4 hours per night studying at home in order to get straight A’s.

They love to compete

Another thing you’ll find in Olympians is a love for competition. They strive to be the best, and they always play against the best. They don’t waste their time with teams or organizations where average people hang out. They look to hone their skills against the best of the best.

Success in business and life isn’t any different than success in sports. If you want to be a top performer, you must dream and plan. You must be willing to sacrifice time with your buddies, and you must love to compete and see yourself as a top performer.

But nobody ever did it alone. Every top performer will tell you they had coaches along the way who helped them achieve great things. Let Auto University coach you to greatness. Contact us about our training and development courses for you and your team.