Every four years, we all gather around to watch the best of the best from across the world compete for gold and the chance to represent their country. Athletes put their blood, sweat, tears and years and years of practice into turning their dreams into reality. But what does this time mean for those of us not in the Olympics? We can watch the Olympics and get inspired and motivated by these athletes to want to work on our own goals. While watching the summer Olympics, we can take away some Olympic ideas.

Reaching your Dreams Through Goal Setting

These Olympians set a goal when they were little to make it to the Olympics one day. It took lots and lots of goals, big and little along the way to get there. Just like them, it’s best to figure out your long term, big goal first. From there, you can break the goal down into little goals. Small success along the way can boost your confidence and keep you motivated and focused on reaching your goals.

Feed Your Body the Best of the Best

Athletes train harder and eat smarter than most people. It’s because they understand that their body is a temple and they only want to feed it the absolute best. They steer clear of foods that might impair their performance such as bad fats and foods loaded with sugar. We should all treat our bodies the same way. Looking at the foods we are putting into our bodies and seeing food as nourishment, not as a reward.

Get Inspired to Try New Workouts

We can all see how hard these Olympians work and we’ve all heard how much time they spend in the gym getting into shape. What some people realize is that these athletes don’t just practice their sport, they try new and challenging workouts to make their bodies stronger. For instance, some swimmers might try running or hiking to improve their endurance instead of always getting in the pool. Use some of their ideas and mix up your workouts every few weeks. Feel like you have hit a plateau? Try a new sport! Swimming laps is a great change up from running in the treadmill and can be fun too.