WAHM Blog

5 Things WAHMs Can Learn From the Olympics

Everyone I know has been watching the 2008 Bejing Olympics. We are all enraptured by these people (so many kids!) who can train for up to 10 hours every day, or the Chinese girls that are taken from homes and orphanages as early as three years old in order to become world-class gymnasts by the time they are…well…whatever age they are.

There are lessons we can all learn from the Olympics, and I find that I am getting more done while I watch these amazing athletes get so much done in a foreign country. Everything seems a little easier here at my home office when I think about what I need to do and then say, “At least I’m in my home and not in another country fighting for a gold medal against hundreds of other countries.”

It puts it all into perspective. Here are five things WAHMs can learn from the 2008 Bejing Olympic games!

Persevere
The FIL (father-in-law) of the coach of the US Men’s Olympic Volleyball team was murdered in Bejing during the games. Murdered. This is a horrible tragedy and could have spelled doom for the team if the coach had succumbed to the grief he must have been feeling. Even if they don’t win gold, the US Men’s Olympic Volleyball team can be proud of their performance.

When something goes wrong in your day-to-day life, remember that you can get through anything for a little while. Stay strong if you have to so you can let-go guilt free after your deadline has been taken care of.

Eat the Right Stuff
In between matches, Michael Phelps stuffed himself with pasta and pizza, because his body needed carbohydrates to continue to perform at peak efficency. When you are working from home you have an obligation to yourself to make sure you’re eating good food that will help you get through the day. A balanced diet can make your brain work better, your hugs stronger for your children, and you will find your balance more easily restored if little things go wrong.

Be a Good Loser
Didn’t get a job with a company you really wanted? It’s okay, there are other companies out there. Focusing on your failure not only makes you less likely to be in the mindset to succeed later, if you share your disappointment on a public forum, other job seekers may find it and not want to hire you. Go back to the drawing board and focus on your next event, your next job search, your next potential client meeting. Focus on the future and have faith your knowledge and heart can get you through it.

Be a Good Winner
If you get a great telecommuting job or freelance job, share with others without bragging. If there were tips you used to get that gig, share them in the forum. Remember there are enough jobs and gigs and clients for everyone out there. Helping someone else out will not reduce the number of jobs you will have access to. Share enough to help, but not so much that you give someone else your job.

Stop Trying to get Gold Every Time
While the other five are all positive things you can learn from the Olympics, this one is a negative that you should avoid in your own life. I keep hearing about America being so sad and not succeeding - because they only won a Silver medal.

What?

Everyone wants to come in first. Everyone wants to win. But don’t forget that second place is still a winner. When you are starting out working from home, it can be difficult to find out after the first month you’re not setting any company records. That’s okay. You’re not working from home because you have to be number one in everything you do. You can come in second and still hold your head high.

Olympic athletes only practice one thing the whole time they train. They are not volleyball players and gymnasts and swimmers. But you are not only a parent, you are working too, plus you are a spouse or have family that relies on you. Do not feel the need to be #1 in all three events, because even Olympic athletes know you can only be the best in the world at one thing, and only then if you train every day for hours and hours at a very young age.

You are human, you are wonderful, and you can achieve balance without going crazy. That’s more than an Olympic athlete could do.

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About Jennifer

Jennifer Gniadecki has been a WAHM for over four years. She has been a Virtual Assistant, an Internet Marketer, and a graphic designer… but her one true love is writing and that is what she’s settled in to do for the long haul. She is a freelance writer and blogger and her work has been featured on Reuters.com as well as the Chicago Sun Times Online. You can find her mommyblog at http://www.beyondmom.com