Ahh the Olympics, it’s such a  great gathering that  occurs every four years to unite people, countries, and the world in sporting excellence.  As a child growing up I can remember watching Carl Lewis in the olympic games, and I was proud to see the Unites States succeed at any and every event possible.  It is that same excitement that captivates the attention of viewers everywhere as we watch the best human athletes at their craft.  This year in the Rio Olympics USA lead all countries with 121 total medals, and continued in team dominance that we have become accustomed to.

But how do we do it, and what does it take to be the best in the world?  Here’s what I think.

35,064…

In order to make the olympic games individuals have had to sacrifice immensely to create opportunities in pursuit of their dreams.  You pay the cost to be the boss, and the price for greatness is expensive.

Consider the training that is required to be the best in the world. 35,064 is the number of hours in a 4 year time span, which mirrors the time gap between the olympics.

Before you go too far and believe that I am going to lecture you on how to use 35,064 hours of your life, you can relax I won’t.  I realize you have to sleep at some point so I prefer to focus on how you use 23,376 hours as this number accounts for the daily eight hour beauty rest. 23,376 hours is a lot of time compared to the number of hours in one day, and little time compared to a human life span.  The similarities of both are found not in the amount of time, but purely in the preciousness of how you use the time itself.  Imagine that you have four years from today for your shot at personal gold, will you put in the work needed to achieve gold?

Here are some of the things I learned from this years games, that may assist you to reach your personal gold.

Be a good winner – Once you achieve your success enjoy and appreciate your accomplishments.  Don’t chose to use your platform negatively as no good can ever come from it.

Stay in your lane – Keep working and focus on the process of your goals.  Don’t spend your time worrying about what someone else is doing, however stay focused on your task and work hard.  It is easiest to get passed by an opponent when you let up.

Define your own success – Make sure your definition of achievement pleases you, because only you know what personal successful is.  There are an abundance of ways to become great.

Become the best – Maximize your time and receive the maximum reward.  Small daily progress will produce staggering results over time, and in four years you will have gotten a lot of results.

For all of us the clock starts at birth, and the clock will have to enevitably stop at some point.   Winning the game of life is not necessarily in how much time you had, but moreso how you used your time.  In going for your personal gold make your daily work count, and who knows? you may just become the best in the world, after all it is possible.

make the rest of your life the best of your life