The fastest man alive
APRIL 2022
That’s quite a title to be anointed with. But if you look at his achievements it’s fair to say that Usain Bolt well and truly earnt it.
This super-speedy Jamaican sprinter won three gold medals in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, becoming the first man in history to win both the 100 and 200-metre sprint.
For some, that might be enough. They’d tick it off their bucket list, hang up their sneakers and take a well-earned rest. But not Bolt.
Instead, he won another three gold medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, whilst also notching up a cool new Olympic-record time of 9.63 seconds in the 100-metre sprint. His success continued with more gold medals at the 2016 Olympics…
But I’m not really here to talk about running. I’m here to talk about business. So what does Bolt have to do with business? As business owners, we can learn a lot from athletes. The determination, consistency and grit that drives them to succeed in their chosen sport are much the same as the skills and strengths we need as business owners to truly achieve success. Just with more sitting and less running…
One particular quote by our buddy Bolt really caught my attention this week. “I trained 4 years to run 9 seconds and people give up when they don’t see results in 2 months.” And he’s absolutely right.
Most business owners quit too soon. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Whatever your chosen path – be it sprinting or entrepreneurship – it takes years of training, discipline and dedication to really achieve success. You see, business is a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve been “training” for 25 years with Millennium Cargo. It hasn’t always been easy. There’s been ups and downs. Highs and lows. And days I’d have really liked to hang up my sneakers.
But that’s just business. Part of the journey. Part of the fun. And now we’re bigger, better and stronger than ever.
The Fastest aSo what about you? I’d love to hear your tales of grit, determination and success. What obstacles have you overcome to be the business you are today? And what did it take for you to overcome them?