| Professional athletes spend many hours a week | | | | likely they'll succeed in their sport, and the more likely |
| training for their sports, then spend the rest of their | | | | they'll reach the Olympic Games one day. |
| time making sure they get the proper nutrition. While | | | | Often, athletes reach a limit, just the same way |
| the rest of us are content with doing moderate | | | | entrepreneurs reach a dead end in their businesses. |
| exercise two or three times a week, athletes spend | | | | What do athletes do in this situation? They improvise -- |
| almost all of their waking hours moving towards their | | | | they find new diets, new exercises, and new habits |
| professional goals. Entrepreneurs need to learn this | | | | that push their limits just a bit further. Often it's these |
| lesson all over again. | | | | "little inches" that make athletes stand out over others. |
| Entrepreneurs, especially those who work at home, | | | | And what happens when athletes fail? The best |
| think being your own boss is much easier than working | | | | athletes don't give up and go down to the little leagues, |
| for one. They often don't realize that they need to | | | | the same way weak entrepreneurs fold their business |
| oversee all aspects of their businesses, and not just | | | | and go back to working for someone else. Athletes |
| operations. To keep a business afloat, they need to | | | | take in the harsh lesson, find out where they fell short, |
| keep learning and keep growing the business -- simply | | | | and get back on their feet as quickly as possible. |
| doing their job day in and day out won't be enough in | | | | Likewise, entrepreneurs shouldn't be afraid of failure -- |
| the long run. | | | | it's actually an important part of growing a business. |
| Athletes know this, which is why they spend almost all | | | | The more you fail, the more you learn, and the more |
| of their waking hours taking care of their health. They | | | | likely you'll do things right the next time around. So the |
| know that the more they improve their skills, the more | | | | next time things get tough, think like an athlete. |
