As you work toward achieving your dreams, it will not always be a direct line to success – often you will stumble along the path. When you do, follow the lead of the Olympic athletes. Vie to gain the prize you seek, even as a Sandwiched Boomer, dealing with your family-in-flux..

Expect to fail sometimes. And when you do, pick yourself up and start over again. Every athlete who has made it into Olympic competition has suffered injury and disappointment along the way – but that has not been the end of the quest. They know that they can learn more from failure than success. You, too, can treat your setbacks as a teaching tool. And as you do, you will become more resilient and adaptable.

Be a good sport. As we have told our children, good sportsmanship is an integral part of athletic competition. Be a generous winner and a gracious looser – acknowledge the efforts of others who are in the contest with you. Think about teamwork and how you can operate together to accomplish your goals. Cooperation can be an important adjunct to competition even with the goal of outperforming others.

Tomorrow we will look at two more skills for you to integrate from the world of coaching.