Having qualified in the morning for my Olympic final, I now had the opportunity I’d dreamed of for 13 years – to compete for and win an Olympic medal.

I remember trying to rest on my bed that day 4 hours before I was due to swim the final. I couldn’t help but think of all the weights I’d done, the thousands of miles I’d swum and how ready I was for this day. I had a feeling of excitement that continued to build but then somehow mysteriously began morphing into fear!

The thought of having 13 years wrapped up in this pursuit, along with the hundreds of thousands of dollars my parents had paid over the years, not to mention all the time my family and coach had invested in me, suddenly seemed daunting, bordering on frightening. All of a sudden, there seemed a lot to lose. Not to mention the fact that I’d be swimming against the fastest guy in the world, and six other swimmers who were also just as intent on taking home only 3 medals between us. Talk about nerves!

Those feelings come along when it does appear like there is a lot to lose. But there’s only a lot to lose because there’s a lot to gain.

Several weeks ago I was speaking with an adviser I coach who has been working extremely hard. Through his diligence, he now had 7 clients and prospects that he was looking to close big deals with and he was feeling a little vulnerable. There was a lot of potential and what if he missed?

Those feelings are normal. Don’t let them stop you and make you shrink back. True, the pressure is not always fun and there’s no way to guarantee you’ll land every deal. That’s why the focus is on generating the opportunities where you’ve earned the right to expect success every time you have an “at bat.” While you might not hit it all the time, the more you line up to swing, the greater your chances of reaching success faster become.

He went on to do great and you will too if you keep focused on the potential ‘upside’ and learn to take the ‘downside’ in stride.

Keep going!
Paul