What’s Your Gold?

They spend hours a day training to be the best, they forego many of the good times the rest of us take for granted due to training and eating schedules and their goal isn’t even a financial reward, but a trophy and name recognition as the best in their class. These people are Olympic contenders and help bring our countries to the limelight in the height of the games. I applaud each one of them whether they win or not for getting to that spot is achievement in itself. I have been trying to keep a tally on the Olympics but I am too busy to watch other than highlights on the news and summer television isn’t in the cards anyway. These athletes work extremely hard and it got me thinking as to how many entrepreneurs follow the same suit. The athletes work on being their best and I am sure most business owners do as well, however the athletes have specific goals or times they have to meet to be included in competition. It’s another whole idea to contend for a medal, but to earn a spot in competition brings on it’s own achievements. They have to hit that mark. If they don’t hit the mark they have to wait until the next set of games come along, which may put them too old for that competition.

The secret for many of these athletes are two things, the training and coaching schedule, and the goals they have set for themselves. I am sure their top goal is to win a gold, but before that they have to attend the games. So qualifying becomes the important goal. So as an entrepreneur we all want to be rich, but our first goal is a viable business plan. Your next step may be to bring your product to market, maybe find an investor. Then and only then will you be in a position to sell your company and become rich. If you set the goals of a winner, work as hard as an Olympic athlete, and find a coach and train properly, you will succeed in your endeavor. The real question is, can you do it?

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. For more information please visit his website at www.outridge.ca