A favorite college coach of mine once said to me, "Some people dream of worthy accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them." As the Olympics come closer to our doorstep, I find myself continually inspired by the efforts that young athletes make in competing on the world Olympic stage. Being able to compete with the world's greatest athletes must be a wonderful experience. What is it that makes a person spend many years of their lives preparing for an event that may only take minutes or even seconds to finish? Over the years, I have found that great achievers are often motivated by the challenge itself. Self-discipline, preparation, and the desire to complete what they began serve as a catalyst for impressive achievement. The very thought of the finish line makes the pain and years of work worthwhile.

Some time back, I had dinner in Los Angeles with a gentleman who was considered the world's greatest all-around athlete. He was Olympic Gold Medallist Bruce Jenner. I listened to his inspiring stories regarding the Olympics and what he and others went through in preparing for them. I was particularly impressed with the story he told of his roommate who was expected to win the Gold Medal for America.

Jenner and his roommate talked with each other about all the many people who had sacrificed in their behalf and how they had this overwhelming responsibility to perform to the best of their ability. They spoke of the years of training and missing all the normal growing up things that kids did just for this one Olympic opportunity.

On the morning of his roommate's event, Jenner went down to the stadium to watch his friend run. The young man got down in his sprinters stance and settled into his blocks. He looked up from his blocks into the stands just as the gun sounded. He was slow getting out of the blocks and within seconds the race was over and he was defeated. The young man was devastated as the glory of gold slipped away. Jenner rushed to his friend after the race and asked what had happened. His friend, with tears in his eyes said to him, Bruce, I was so thrilled to be in the Olympic Stadium and I knew how much it would mean to my father if I were to win. At the starting blocks, I looked up for one second to see if I could see my dad and thought to myself that I would love to win this for him. At that moment the gun sounded and I left the blocks late because of that mental lapse. I knew I couldn't allow myself a single fraction of a second to lose focus, but I did.

Business shares some real similarities with the world of sports. Years of work, planning, and goal setting can suddenly be dashed by a brief lack of focus. Watching great business leaders see achievement is much like watching great athletes compete in the sports arena. Both can spend a lifetime preparing and both have the potential of great success or failure. Don't dream through the achievement. Stay focused, awake and thrill at the victory.