Crush Your Competition

"You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy."
~Arthur Ashe

Are you ready to grow your business like an Olympian? Over the past week, Shani Davis has done for speed skating what Arthur Ashe did for tennis--won gold medals in a sport not traditionally performed by blacks. Apolo Anton Ohno has done for the winter Olympics what Michael Phelps did for the summer games--won record Olympic medals. And Team USA beat Team Canada for the first time in 25 years.

Champions don't just happen. These people endure hours of grueling training every day to ensure peak performance during competition. They push past injuries, surgeries, illnesses. When they fall down, they don't stay there. They get back up, and then they get back in the game.

Here are a few ways you can incorporate Olympic-style training in your business:

Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs. Self-limiting beliefs are those things you believe about yourself and your business: My business is too small. I'll never make a profit. People won't buy from me because I'm a minority.

Your business is limited only by your beliefs. A change in your thinking can turn the tides in your favor.

Train Hard. Have you read any good business books lately? How about attending a business class? Olympic competitors train for hours every day. You should do the same for your business. Attend seminars, webinars, and teleseminars regularly. Read books to stay motivated and informed. Take classes to stay sharp and up on the latest trends in your business.

Spy on your competitors. No matter how good a team is, they don't sleep on their competition. And neither should you. You have to study your competitors, so that you'll know how to position yourself. Championship sports teams watch videos of their competitors. Before you run out and hire a private investigator to tape the goings-on of the business next door, there is a site that allows you to LEGALLY tap into your competitors online marketing strategy. Compete.com allows you to see traffic and engagement metrics for any website and analyze competitors keywords for search word strategies.

Hire a coach. Everyone has areas that they can improve upon. A coach can help you see your blind spots. They can provide objective feedback, and keep you accountable by providing progress reports.

Are you ready to crush your competition?