The Olympics are over. Even though not having the Olympics on what seemed like 24/7 frees up much of my time, I still miss it. One of my favorite commercials during the Olympics was seeing the wannabe swimmer, who watched a race on her iPad and then wrote the time her hero achieved on a write-on board. Here are the five ways the Olympics help me.

1. Inspiration spurs us to make goals. Goal setting is important and watching these athletes is like watching goals in action. Sometimes those goals are not met, and yet sometimes more is achieved than anyone thought possible. But watching these athletes reach for their goals, reassessing and readjusting those goals, is a great lesson for all of us. For me, it is truly inspiring to see an athlete standing on the podium, receiving a gold medal, and becoming teary eyed during the Star Spangled Banner. My goals may not be their goals, but learning from these amazing individuals can push me to be better than I ever thought I could be.

2. Even though I’m fairly sure I’ll never be an Olympic athlete, watching the Olympics can push me to workout just a little harder, push through those times when I’d rather get off the treadmill or forget about lifting weights or turn back for home sooner than I should. These athletes amaze me. They push through tough times, heartache, depression, and difficulties. They fall off an apparatus, dust themselves off, and get back up. Sometimes I’m too ready to give up. Watching these amazing athletes pushes me forward when I’m ready to give up.

3. The Olympics remind me that ordinary people can reach the extraordinary. And it can be amazing.

4. Behind all those amazing moments seen on television when it all comes together for an athlete are hours upon hours of preparation, hard work, and dedication. They didn’t decide that week to be an Olympic athlete. They made the commitment to their goal years and years before that moment. They dedicated thousands of hours of work to their goal. They sacrificed many things. It takes commitment, dedication, and sacrifices to achieve so much.

5. Setting measurable goals help us reach for the seemingly impossible and make them possible. Start small and build. Once you reach a small, measurable goal, then make the next step. One at a time. Goals build upon each other.

Labels: athletes, goals, inspiration, lessons, Olympics