Have you been moved watching the Olympics? I have, repeatedly. Take a minute to think about what that’s about. Are you wanting a piece of that feeling of victory in your life? Has it been a while? Maybe watching the athletes perform, and hearing the stories of “how they got here” have reminded you of times in your life when you were determined, passionate, fearless. The Olympic games offer us the chance to take a look at our lives and see how we’re doing. Not from a judgy place. But in a way that helps you know if you’re fulfilled right now, truly. And if you realize you’re not, to be inspired to get busy. To start living with passion so that you’re excited to get out of bed in the morning.

Because the world is waiting for your greatness.

I know that you may be in one of two camps. Your life may be okay, yet you have a sense there could be more for you. Or (the second camp) you know exactly what your more is. You can taste it. Yet you’re plodding along, not giving it your all, so it’s just not happening. Or you’re stuck and just don’t know how to get started at all. I have felt that way before, and it’s lousy. It means you’re suffering unnecessarily. So I want you to get out of your own way and make what you want happen… with joy, without struggling as people so often do.

I know we’re not all headed to win medals on podiums, yet here’s the thing. If you have a goal right now that seems small compared to Katie Ledecky or Lamont Jacobs (in case you missed it, he’s the fastest man in the world), if you’re not going after it the way you know you could, it’s likely taking a toll. On how you feel about yourself and probably how you’ve been treating yourself. A major cause of low mood and depression? Settling for a life that is less than you’re capable of. I learned that gem from a very wise man named Nelson Mandela.

So what have these amazing athletes shown us?

That success often requires: Discipline and consistent practice. Ya gotta do the work. Accepting difficult moments and pushing through pain Asking for support Letting go of past failures so they don’t diminish current performance (please press Pause now. I took an eye-strain break from writing and just saw U.S. gymnast Jade Carey come back from a poor result yesterday to win Gold tonight. My point in live action!)
Outstanding coaching Digging in deeper when you feel like giving up Hope and believing in yourself when you’re tired, discouraged, or having doubts

Here are some specific examples:

The Toyota ad quoting Zig Ziglar… “You don’t need to be amazing to start. But you need to start to be amazing.” That’s a tip worth pure gold, especially for recovering procrastinators like me.

A broadcaster gave a great perspective when he asked us to imagine working on something for 5 years with no guarantee of the outcome. Here’s what I took from that: your big dreams may require you to find small wins along the way.

The high jumpers from Qatar and Italy who took matters into their own hands. Rather than risk injury in a jump-off above a safe height, they asked to share the Gold medal. Wow - they modelled what it means to live in abundance (as opposed to greed) and wisdom (as opposed to win at all cost).

Michael Phelps -- whose 28 Olympic medals have me listening to his advice -- offered this. Take care of yourself.

So simple, yet many don’t.
Are you?

For a model of making a tough, mature decision with tremendous grace, look no further than Simone Biles. An example of:

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and listening to what your mind and body are saying.

The benefit of having clarity in your commitments: trusting that care of #1 Self will lead to care of #2 your team.

Leadership, telling her teammates “you have this” and then staying on the floor to cheer them on.

Dream big. Because dreams give rise to the journey. And that path, the training, the lessons that bring growth, the connection --- in relationships and to something bigger than you, experiences that create memories that last forever. That journey... is a large part of the point of it all, isn’t it? If you dream big and go after it, you’ve already won. Check out Aly Raisman’s video. Goosebump warning! The Power of a Dream | OLAY

I’d love to hear what your dream looks like. If you’d like support to make it happen, get in touch with me at info@coachingwithlee.com to set up a complimentary call.

So that you can get pumped up to work on your goals anytime, quickly, I want to share a valuable tool: music. It’s especially powerful when you want to be productive and aren’t “feelin’ it". If you don’t already have a playlist that gets you going, I urge you to create one to keep your flame lit.

My all-time favorite Gloria Estefan - Reach

This one, of course Rocky III • Eye of the Tiger • Survivor