Success is something that everyone wants. However, we rarely try to achieve it in the same way. This is largely because of the enormous disparity between our different goals. Still, oddly enough, sometimes very different careers can have similar paths to success. Nobody would expect an athlete and an entrepreneur to have much in common, for example, but an entrepreneur and an athlete actually need many of the same traits to succeed.
Table of Contents
Passion
A high-performing athlete must possess a strong sense of motivation to spur them on through the grueling hours of training. Loving the sport doesn’t make the challenges that inevitably arise any easier to overcome, but it does make it easier to hang on through the roughest career points.
Similarly, an intense love of what you do is critical for an entrepreneur. Facing enormous challenges is an essential part of entrepreneurship. Without that deep-rooted commitment, there isn’t anything to push you forward when the going inevitably gets tough.
Good Stress Management Skills
Between the risk of injury, the fear of failure, and the relentless pressure to perform well, the life of an athlete is not precisely stress-free. As a result, anyone who aspires to be a successful athlete needs to learn how to handle the high stress level that comes with the career.
Entrepreneurs face a different, though still highly stressful, set of challenges. If you’re someone who thrives under pressure, you will have a substantial advantage while starting your business. Ideally, this should be paired with an ability to learn and adapt as you go.
Leadership Skills
Even an athlete who doesn’t have a position of authority on their team might still need leadership skills. For example, the capability to assess a situation and make decisions is critically important in any athlete. This is especially true in a major competition like the Euro, where every instant can impact whether you’ll have the best Euro 2021 odds or not. Similarly, an ability to bring out the best in others and a good sense of focus are essential traits in a good athlete.
The entrepreneur also can benefit from all the various characteristics needed to be a good leader. Communicating with customers and employees is essential to your company’s success, as are the ability to make tough decisions quickly and the capability to inspire employees.
Self Confidence
It sounds like a cliche, the kind of thing that you’d see hanging on the wall of a dentist’s office, but that doesn’t make it untrue. Believing in yourself does make it easier to get things done. An athlete requires the confidence to advocate for themself and their team, to face the unexpected, and to believe that they can win.
Successfully starting your own company similarly requires the ability to fight for what’s best for your business. A starter business often involves years of hard work and discouragement. Holding on to your dream throughout that rough early period demands a certain amount of confidence.
Conclusion
It may seem incredibly difficult to hone and balance all of these skills, but it can be done with persistence and hard work. In fact, it has been done. So, if other people can do it…why not you?
About Carson Derrow
