So have you been watching the Olympics? It's kind of hard to miss it, what with the games and results being posted all over social media, television, and the news 24/7 lately.

Oh, I'm not complaining. It's fun to see the thrill of victory, as well as the agony of defeat playing out in real time right before your eyes.

But have you ever thought about what makes it so exciting to watch? I mean, you could go down to your local high school and watch a track meet, or to the local college to see a swim meet, or to the local beach to watch a volleyball game.

You might be inclined to say it's the level of skill of the athletes. But, I guarantee you that the majority of people couldn't tell you the difference between Usain Bolt's starting position and gait and that of a local high school sprinter.

So, it's not the skill level of the athletes that makes it so exciting. Nope.

It's the stakes.

You see, in many cases these athletes have been training for years to reach the pinnacle of their sport. Some of them may have been training their whole lives to reach the Olympics and represent their country on the international stage.

Imagine devoting years and years of your life to become an Olympian, only to perform for a few short minutes or seconds...

...and then to have your dreams dashed by coming in fourth place. All that hard work, all that dedication, only to go home empty-handed.

Those are some high stakes, and that's what makes us want to watch. Sure, we love to see our nations' athletes on the winner's podium, but it's the high stakes that make the Olympics worth watching.

In the same way, people who run small businesses are drawn to entrepreneurship because the stakes are so high. In many ways, entrepreneurs are like Olympic athletes, because we thrive on competition, we love a good challenge, and we get up each day and grind because we have our eyes set on the goal.

And just like the Olympians on TV, there's no such thing as an overnight success in our industry. Oh, it may seem that way, what with all the magazine articles published about how Master So-and-so built a school from zero to 500 students in six months.

But what those articles don't tell you is how Master So-and-so failed umpteen times before he figured out the business. They don't mention how he or she struggled teaching in part-time locations, or how they started off in a postage stamp studio, or how they had to face ridicule and scorn from their friends and family for chasing a silly dream.

Now, think about how long it took you to become a black belt. Do you really think you're going to become a success in the business side of things overnight?

Of course not. That's why you have to have the mindset of an Olympic athlete. There are no cameras around when they're at the track or the pool or the gym at zero-dark-thirty every day, grinding it out and putting in the long hours needed to compete at an international level.

Likewise, no one is going to be around to cheer you on for pulling those late nights to get your dojo started. No one is going to pat you on the back for working long days to grow your school. And no one is going to shake your hand for showing up day after day after day.

It's up to you to have the discipline to do what it takes, day in and day out, to succeed.

Of course, everyone will want to be your friend when you reach the top. And they'll all say they "knew it all along." 

And many will say, "Must be nice, to have a thriving school with hundreds of students, making the big bucks." 

"Lucky dog," they'll call you. But you'll know luck had nothing to do with it.

So when they do, just think back to all those days and nights of grinding it out to make it happen, and smile to yourself with the knowledge that success doesn't happen overnight.