This coming Friday, July 24th was supposed to be the beginning of this year’s Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, because of the current environment, the games have been rescheduled to next year, 2021 to start the same week on Friday, July 23rd. When I first heard this news a couple of months back, I thought no big deal. They just push it out a year. All the Olympians that qualify for 2020 are automatically qualified for next year. What’s the big deal? Actually, it is a big deal to the Olympians.
I’m not an Olympian, however, I thought, what does the Olympian actually go through to get prepared for the Olympics? Being every four years, they spend four full years of their life disciplining themselves, both physically and mentally, to be at their peak so when they enter that event or events, they can hopefully perform and stand on the podium to receive the gold medal, a dream they’ve held on to for many years prior.
Now, let’s face it, 2020 so far has been the year of the reset. I could only imagine the reset you need to take as an Olympian. As you’ve been spending four years of your life disciplining yourself to get ready for that one particular event and now you have to put it off for another year? Again, I’m not an Olympian. I don’t know the exercise schedule, the diet, and so forth. I can’t imagine spending four years getting ready for that event and having to press the reset button for an additional year to hopefully show up in the same peak physical and mental state.
As business owners, the way we need to look at it, and I would imagine being an Olympian is the way they look at is to take one day to time. For that one particular day, show up to be your best, give it your all, a hundred percent. At the end of the day, when you put your head on the pillow and you feel that you have given it 100% of your effort, both physically and mentally, you can sleep well. The next step is to wake up the following morning and do the same thing, however with the goal of being just 1% better.
As business owners, as we’re going through this cycle, all we have to really do is focus on this day and this day only. Yes, prepare and plan for the future, however, focus on this day of showing up at your best and what will happen day after day after day, it will compound. And when that day comes and the light starts shining brightly, again, we will be used to the habit of just naturally being our best. That alone will positively impact ourselves, our family, our business, our team, and our community.
Just like the Olympians, if they take every day to be their best when they get to that point to participate in that particular race or event, they’ll be so conditioned that they will naturally be at their peak, both physically and mentally. Only then will they be in a position to go for the gold.
My encouragement to you is to drink this day fully, every minute of it, take it in, be grateful for what we have. Every day the sun rises and our feet are planted firmly on the ground, be grateful for God that he gives us this day. Go out there and be your best to make an impact in the world. Be an Olympian, make this day the first day of the rest of your life, be your best, and go for the gold! We do that and everything else will take care of itself.