Ingrid embarks on a bold new venture, fueled by inspiration from Olympic perseverance and spirit. In her post, she shares an intimate blend of excitement, fear, and determination, reflecting on the profound Olympic tales of resilience and victory. She commits to taking the first step on this challenging yet rewarding journey. Read more about Ingrid's reflections and motivations...
On the precipice of a bold new adventure in business and in life, I find myself feeling 60 parts excited, 30 parts terrified, and 10 parts "can I really do this?" As an Olympics junkie, I'm feeling a bit of a sadness this week after the end of 19 days of watching trial and triumph, victory and defeat, and a coming together of the world in a unique and inspiring way. But the stories of perseverance, going after your dreams, not giving up and fighting through the doubt and fear have made me willing to consider this new path. There's an old adage, "the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step", and while it states the obvious, it acknowledges that the thousand mile journey seems impossible when you're at the starting line. So as I move into this new exploration, I'm reminded of the lessons from watching champions all around the world go for their gold. 1. The dream is there for a reason - it belongs to you and you owe it to yourself to go after it. 2. You don't have to be perfect to start. You don't have to have all your ducks in a row or money in the bank or all the people on your team. You just have to take one step. 3. There will always be naysayers and people who tell you that you can't. You're too young, too old, too inexperienced, too experienced, too late, too early. Only you know when the time is right. Don't listen to them. 4. It's going to be hard. Nothing of value comes without struggle, stress and strain. You can't short-cut your way through it. These things build the resilience you need to keep going at mile 847 when you feel like quitting. 5. Surround yourself with a team. No one can go it alone. You need coaches, cheerleaders, big shoulders to cry on, people to vent with, competitors to sharpen your skills alongside, wise mentors, friends who tell you the truth, and people who want you to see your goal as much as you do. It takes a village. So here's to the adventure! I'm strapping on my running shoes and seeing where that first step takes me!