The 2008 Olympic games have just commenced at the time of writing this, and athletes from all over the world have met in Beijing to test and prove themselves against one another. Matters of national and personal pride are at stake, as all competitors’ battle it out to win the most coveted of awards, the Olympic gold medal. As I watched clips and footage of all the athletes preparing for the big tournament, I was moved to ask “what was it that made them so successful?”

Fundamentally, what is the difference between these Olympians and the average person on the street?

Practically speaking, most of us on this earth were born with the same bodies. Most of us have two arms and two legs etc. Physically, I am not really that much different to the Olympians on the television, except they have devoted hours of training to improving their physical performance and ability. I imagine most of us could look as good as the toned, lean athletes in Beijing if we put the same amount of work in the gym as them. » Read more: The Olympian Mindset and Self-Made Millionaires – How You Can Profit From Understanding Both of Them