Inspiration to Push Your Dream Past the Finish Line

Are you a dreamer or a doer? You can envision your entrepreneurial success all you want, but what’s stopping you from making the aspiration a reality?

Here’s the truth. As a business owner, you have to be both.

In previous blog posts, we drew inspiration from Olympians turned entrepreneurs. Check out Guide to a Gold-Medal Career in Entrepreneurship and Balancing Act in Sports and Entrepreneurship.

If you are struggling to make the jump from dreamer to doer, here is some medal-worthy coaching from past winter Olympians.

“My tip is to approach each day with humility and curiosity. I am constantly learning and accepting that even some of the best ideas or plans don’t pan out. I also make a lot of lists and try to break down tasks into bite-sized items, so I can feel as though I accomplished at least one tangible thing by the end of each day.”

Molly Schauss (U.S. Hockey Women’s Team), Co-Founder, Movement in a Box

“Know your value. Your work is to dig into what that means. What do you bring to the table that people will not get from working with someone else? You may not be the only person providing the service or product that you’re offering, but you are uniquely you.”
Lauryn Williams (U.S. Track & Field and Bobsledding), Financial Planner and Founder, Worth Winning

“Great products arise from someone filling a hole in the market or a ‘need.’ Don’t set out to make money; set out to solve a problem that would help people.”
Lydia Lassila (Australia Freestyle Skiing), Founder, BodyICE

“When you face something insurmountable or something that appears to be too much to handle, ask yourself, ‘Do I want to give up on this?’ Keep asking yourself, ‘Do I want to live with regrets?’ It’s about really digging deep. If you keep asking yourself if you want to give up and follow through on that, you will live with no regrets. If you fail, at least you tried.”
Kristi Yamaguchi (U.S. Figure Skating), Founder, Always Dream Foundation and Tsu. ya

“Be sure to take the time to celebrate the small wins! Sometimes, it is hard to measure, define, and celebrate success as it feels like everything is moving so quickly and the environment constantly changes. However, taking a moment to celebrate small wins has allowed my co-founder and me to recognize how far we have come!”
Sarah Cahill (Strength and Conditioning Coach for the U.S. Hockey Women’s National Team), Co-Founder, Movement in a Box

Bottom Line: Inspiration can be found all over (even in the darkness of winter). What is holding you back from making your vision a reality? Follow in these athletes skates or boots and be one step closer to making your dreams come true.