Improve your business success by thinking like an athlete

I can’t believe the Olympic fever has gripped me against all my expectations! You see I’m really not into competitive sport and never have been. But I simply couldn’t resist the fabulous opening ceremony and later, being inspired by some of the world’s best athletes and their stories. I found their enthusiasm soon spilled over and I had to admire how they cope with extreme emotional highs and lows!

 

Deep down Olympic athletes are not so different to some of us entrepreneurs! When we have a goal that is worth achieving we will do anything to get closer to it. And we have the passion, the single-minded focus and determination to see things through to the finishing line.

To have a winning mindset and a strong vision is what helps both entrepreneurs and top athletes deal with obstacles. Obstacles such as the injury that forced Paula Radcliffe to drop out of the marathon.

When things don’t go according to plan, life for athletes or solopreneurs can be pretty tough unless you have a support network – people who understand that you are on a mission and how much this means to you.

I imagine Paula will have support too when it comes to picking herself up again, and focusing on a different opportunity to win. And, no doubt she will push herself again when the time is right.

Crucially all top athletes will have a coach – often a retired athlete who previously excelled in the same sport. A coach will provide structure, training and guidance they challenge, offer support when needed and are there to celebrate the wins too. Then there is the sport psychologist who helps the athlete focus on the mindset.

All this is not unlike how I help my personal clients – female solopreneurs and leaders who want to achieve goals they feel passionate about.

Not everyone is cut out to be a professional athlete of course, and not everyone makes a successful entrepreneur either. Not everyone has the desire to give up large chunks of their life to single-mindedly focus on succeeding!

But whichever way you look at it, if you want to do well in business in these strange economic times then it helps to understand just one thing: “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.“ (Jimmy Johnson)

Whatever you set out to achieve, by thinking and acting like an athlete, you will make sure you have a specific goal, a good coach, understand your competitors’ advantage, ‘train’ consistently and push yourself that little bit ‘extra’.

If you do, then that ‘little extra’ will help to improve your performance and that of your business…  and lift you above the ordinary. If you don’t, and you continue doing what you’ve always done, then you’ll simply get what you’ve always got.

PS. If you would like to arrange a complimentary mentoring session, please email me at ute@successnetwork.org.uk or find out more about my other coaching offers here. 

Ute Wieczorek-King is an experienced trainer, mentor and business coach, who specialises in helping busy women to be more more focused, efficient, productive and profitable in business. She also runs Success Network, a Thames Valley based business support organisation for women. http://www.successnetwork.org.uk