I hope a lot of you got to watch and enjoy the Summer Olympics over the last couple of weeks. I honestly caught bits and pieces but I live in a home where if the TV was on the last two weeks it was tuned only to one of the NBC networks. I'm sure some higher ups at NBC in New York would like to know that. Admittedly, I enjoyed seeing Paul McCartney at the opening ceremony and Queen minus Freddie Mercury at the closing ceremony as much as I did some of the amazing athletes. There are few things in this world I love more than music.
As with most people I can't help but marvel at the feats of some of the athletes. It is a beautiful thing to watch someone like Michael Phelps break a record for the most Olympic medals - a record that has stood for my entire lifetime. I can't help but think of all of the time and effort he has spent over the last 10 years or so preparing, training, practicing and visualizing what it would mean to be the all-time Olympic champion.
The same is true for many of the great athletes. If we could calculate the amount of preparation relative to the amount of time they actually spend competing in the event it would have to be a figure measured in thousands, if not tens of thousands to one. It's hard to imagine being that dedicated to one goal for so long and then win, lose or draw within a matter of minutes, if not seconds, the race is over. Because I am a salesperson, I actually totally get it.
Earlier this month I was in New York for a week. Today some people on my sales team are preparing for trade shows in Atlanta and Dallas and next week I will be in Las Vegas for the MAGIC show which is arguably the most important of all. For my business August is my Olympic stage. Everything that has happened from March to July has been a build up for what will happen next week. Just thinking about being there, seeing customers and discussing business opportunities for early 2013 is a huge adrenaline rush. Please understand, I have never been nor will I ever be anything resembling an Olympic athlete. But I do have a greater appreciation for how it feels before going in to competition.
The pressure to succeed, if I allow myself to think about it is huge. Not only for me but for everyone who works alongside me, those who support me and those whom I support. Just as a star athlete must do, I imagine, I am prepared to block all of that out and be ready to compete to the best of my abilities next week. I am on the show floor for a total of 28 business hours. A minuscule amount of time compared to the time, energy and expense that has gone in to preparing for those 28 hours.
I can only imagine the rush someone like Usain Bolt gets by being the greatest sprinter on the planet. Yet, next Tuesday morning at 9:00 pacific time when the doors of the Las Vegas Convention Center open to customers from all over the world I will put that rush up against any 100 meter dash. Was it worth all the time and effort I put in to it for a mere three days on the show floor? Without question.
It's show time! Let the game begin!
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