What We CAN’T Learn From Olympians

Jeff Clark, CFP®

I am a self-professed Olympics nerd. I just spent (17) days watching the Olympics morning and night and checking in while at work during the day.  I find it inspiring to watch someone achieve things that push the boundaries of what human beings can accomplish...Usain Bolt running faster or Simone Biles vaulting higher than any human in history.   I think the Olympics perfectly captures what makes humans unique...our constant desire to improve.

While I’m amazed by the dedication and performances of Olympic athletes, I get a bit tired of all the articles that talk about the lessons we can learn from Olympians.   Elite athletes lead very different lives than the rest of us. Their lives revolve around their sport, often to the exclusion of other things.   Here are (3) ways that Olympians are very different than the rest of us:

1. Olympians Are Obsessed With One GOAL

For many elite athletes their job is to win.  It’s that simple.  They are in the rare position where they can be obsessive about achieving just one goal.  Michael Phelps trained everyday for 5 years in preparation for the Beijing Olympics.  That extreme focus is amazing, but he made sacrifices that most of us would never be able to make in our more normal lives.

The reality for the rest of us is that we have multiple goals that pull us in different directions and compete for our resources.  These can be personal, professional, or financial.   Identifying those goals and balancing them is a big challenge that most Olympians don’t have to worry about until after their competition days are over.

When you have multiple goals, the key is prioritization and understanding how to optimize your probability of success for as many of your goals as possible.   For many this is as difficult as winning a gold medal in the Olympics.  At BrightPlan we are obsessively focused on helping you discover, prioritize, and track all the goals in your life -- from wanting to travel the world, to spending more time with your family, to starting a business, or retiring early.

2. Olympians Live in A Controlled Environment

Many elite athletes don’t live in the world in which you and I do.  They live carefully controlled existences designed to optimize their performance and recovery.  From sleeping in hyperbaric chambers to simulate training at altitude to having handlers focused on keeping their distractions to a minimum, an elite athlete has the power to create the conditions that are most conducive to success.

Unfortunately, the rest of us can’t control the conditions in which we live.  We can’t demand that our family, friends, and bosses cater to our every need.  It’s not practical or fair to everyone else.  Our ability to be successful depends on adapting to our environment and having a plan that works during both good and bad times.  

At BrightPlan, we recognize that you have a lot on your plate. You balance work and family while finding time to pursue your passions. But while life is complex, planning for it shouldn’t have to be.  That’s why BrightPlan is focused on making things as easy as 1, 2, 3.   Just three simple steps: Get Inspired, Take Action, and Track Progress. Our goal is to make life and financial planning so simple that you can focus on the things that you most enjoy and let us take care of the rest.

3. Olympians Have 24/7 Access to The Best Experts

Elite athletes have coaches, trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, masseurs, you name it.  Some pay for these experts themselves, others receive sponsorship from their team or federation.  This gives an elite athlete almost around-the-clock access to leading experts in a variety of fields that can positively impact their performance.

This expertise is not readily available or affordable to the rest of us.  We may have mentors, bosses, and friends that we rely on for advice, but most of the time we are trying to figure life out on our own.

This is where digital technology is starting to play a significant role.  Expertise is becoming more available to more people for less money.  This is happening in almost all expert service industries from healthcare to financial services. So while you may not be able to access the same types of coaches and experts that Olympians do, with services like BrightPlan you can now get the same planning and investing advice that previously only the wealthy could access.

As much as I dream of being an Olympian, the reality is that I was never more than a decent athlete. My motivation and focus are above average only on my very best days.  But like most people I still have goals that I want to achieve. I’m looking for products and services that can guide and support me without requiring an Olympian effort on my part.  That’s what we’re building at BrightPlan.