Since I was a little kid I was fascinated how someone could do one thing…one time…..perfect control and not fold under all of that pressure. Not all, but many Olympic athletes spend a career learning to be “great” at one thing. Now, we all know being perfect is not possible, but the discipline of an Olympic athlete to draw all the energy they have for one defining moment is truly remarkable. It almost seems that it is impossible, however it is not.

Imagine taking one thing you are good at or let’s say gifted – now practicing it to be the best in the world. It even gets better – now take all that hard work and realize there is no monetary reward involved. There might be, but most likely there is not. As we approach the summer games let’s take a moment to realize what each of these athletes is up against. Hard work…….complete focus……and one chance. There are no failures, however I suspect there are disappointments.

Imagine applying this in your business discipline. The caveat is the reward is a little more defined. Usually comes in the form of money….title….reputation etc. Focusing on your business strength and getting “Great” at it is clearly hard work. Anyone can be good…..but few become “Great”. I suppose greatness is how one defines it. At the end of the day there are many ways you can draft off of the training one does to just make the Olympic team. Forget about medals………just making the team.

Today we are forced to be good at a bunch of things, however your true success will come from the one thing you do “Great”. We can all get there, however linear focus and determination plays a massive role. Anything is achievable when you begin to apply “Olympic Focus”.

Bradley D. Weisman
bweisman@inthesport.net