Lessons from Olympic Athletes

I love watching the Olympics! Summer…winter…love it all. I find the athletes very inspirational; their stories of triumph, near disaster, and resiliency carry messages that extend far beyond sports or athletic competition. So, it is no wonder that I find hope in the lessons of the athletes and its application to the world of writing and publishing.

Take Lindsey Vonn. After being out of the world stage of competition for nearly twelve months due to a very serious injury and the Feb 2013 Worlds, she trained, focused and was determined to return in time for the 2014 Olympics. Until she suffered a series of additional injuries – all resulting in her withdrawal from the Olympic games.

Lindsey could have easily quit after the Worlds last February – no one would have blamed her in the least. She tore ligaments and broke bones. But Lindsey’s determination would not allow her to be beaten. She came back from injuries. And I have no doubt that she will either come back to competing again, or make a decision to retire and find another venue for that fierce determination. Either way, she serves as an example of resiliency, determination, and strength!

Now, how do those lessons apply to our writing?

There will always be times when don’t achieve our goals, when we fall, have a manuscript rejected, get a bad review, etc. Life isn’t about those moments – they are a given. Life is about what we do NEXT.

Do we get up and brush ourselves off? Do we take the break we may need to regain perspective? Get a coffee with a friend, read a book, watch a movie, enjoy a different hobby?

And more importantly, do we then get back on the computer, write something new, move forward?

No one said being a published author was easy? No one said that achieving our goals would be a piece of cake. It takes work, consistency, persistence, dedication and commitment.

But man, oh man…one day – things will hit. And you will achieve the goals you have for yourself. Serena Williams, winner of 2 Gold Medals in the 2000 and 2008 Olympic games is quoted as saying “Luck as nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the wourt working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.”

What are you doing to achieve your goals?