3 Lessons I Learned as a Former Olympic Hopeful (and Still Live by as an Online Writer) | RP 111

3 Lessons I Learned as a Former Olympic Hopeful (and Still Live by as an Online Writer)

Most people online don’t know this. But I spent my teen years training for the Olympics.

I first began swimming when I was 8.

When I entered my first swim meet the year after, I came dead last in all my races. But my coaches and my parents told me I had potential… So I kept training.

Fortunately they were right.

4 years later, I went on to qualify for the Philippine National team at 13.

It was tough.

I spent my summers, holidays, and Christmas breaks in the pool.

I would bounce from morning practice, school, then back straight afternoon practice.

I didn’t have a social life.

I spent my entire teenage years chasing the dream of representing the country in the Olympics — even after my family immigrated to Canada when I was 17.

And this doesn’t even have a Disney ending.

I would go on to miss the Olympic qualifying time by a hair’s breadth and retire soon after.

But the results? The training and the tools I needed to become a full-time writer.

Here are 3 lessons I learned then, that give me an edge as an entrepreneur today.

Lesson #1: The workout log

This single habit has kept me on track with my goals for the past 15 years.

After that first meet where I came last in all my events, my first swim coach instilled a habit in me: the workout log.

My first one was a beat up spiral notebook where I tracked my times, my workouts, and my race results.

Swimming is a black and white sport. You either make the time or you don’t.

Keeping a workout log allowed me to add color to that – what factors led to the result, what I could work on next, how I felt about the race. It took my mind off the outcome and let me focus on the process.

These days I do this for my writing, too.

I have a bullet journal where I track my writing goals, quarterly OKRs, and my daily memo — a quick list to myself of what I worked on that day and what I need to work on the next day.

If you’re thinking of starting your own work log, here are a few prompts to help you clarify your thinking:

• Facts – what happened?

• Feelings – how did it feel?

• What went well?

• What didn’t go well?

• What should you do more of? Less of?

Like my workout log, my bullet journal lets me add context to the accomplishments of the week. Each day I know how each task and project supports my dreams and goals. On the flipside, this also means my annual goals filter down into my quarterly, monthly, and daily tasks.

Lesson #2: 5:30 AM is golden hour

You’ve probably heard about crazy individuals who wake up at 5:30 to go for a run, head to the gym, or work on their side hustle.

I used to be one of them.

Even when it was -10℃ outside, my alarm would go off at 4:30 AM so I could eat breakfast, grab my school and my swim bag, and meet my carpool at the door for 5:30 AM practice.

I would do this 3-4 times a week.

Waking up at such an ungodly hours has a number of benefits, then and now:

• It’s a mental win. I was most productive when I swimming and doing school at the same time. I remember getting on the train to school at 7:30 AM after morning practice. There would be icicles forming in my wet hair from the subzero temperature. I’d look around at everyone else who could barely keep their eyes open. I thought, “I already swam 5k. Might as well keep going,” then I’d open my laptop and start working.

• It shows respect for the work. It takes determination to say no to evening activities so you can feel rested the next day. It takes a certain amount of crazy to get yourself to do something you don’t have to do. You don’t wake up at an ungodly hour if you didn’t think the work or the dream is worth a few hours of sleep.

• It offers a distraction-free environment. No WhatsApp messages. No family members crashing around in the kitchen. No text messages from friends. No meetings. Nothing else to do but the work itself.

These days I no longer wake up at 5:30 AM. I have the luxury of having full days to work on my business. But I’m experimenting with ways of working that mirror the dedication, respect, and focused environment my dawn hours gave me, like…

• Writing on Saturday mornings

• A Sunday afternoon planning ritual

• Reading or writing late in the evenings

So far, none of these have stuck. But I’ll keep you updated!

Lesson #3: Greatness is costly

Michael Phelps’ legendary coach BobBowman had a quote:

When Phelps first set the goal to win 8 gold medals in Beijing 2008, Bowman told him the cost: he would have to train twice a day, every day, for the next 4 years.

No holidays, birthdays, or sick days off.

For 4 years straight.

From my knowledge, no other swimmer has ever attempted to train like this.

It wasn’t because they couldn’t. It was because they wouldn’t.

But then again, no other swimmer (or athlete, for that matter) was trying to reach the goal Phelps was.

When you do things other people can’t do or won’t do, you get to achieve results that other people can only dream about.

Remarkable results demand remarkable actions

I’ll leave you with a bonus lesson for the weekend:

This seems obvious.

All legendary athletes have toiled in the dark at some point in their careers before the world knew who they were — at the track in the early mornings, in the pool at winter, at the squat rack in the basement.

They put in hours of sweat and failure in the dark, for the chance to shine in the spotlight.

But outside of sports, you’d be surprised how many people don’t commit until they receive validation for their efforts.

• An aspiring writer doesn’t publish until someone tells them they’re good enough.

• A wannabe entrepreneur never acts on their business idea because they’re afraid of failing.

• A marketer never takes the leap to build their own brand because they’d rather promote someone else’s work than do it for themselves and fail.

But the only way to know if you’re good enough is through practice and competition.

Through showing up, taking action, and putting your heart on the line.

First in private, then in public.

😉 You're welcome

A selection of interesting links & fun recommendations. It gets random.

• ▶️ How Alex & Books takes book notes. I’ve been using Alex’s notetaking method for about 2 weeks now. This video lays out his notetaking system for physical book notes, including his “Rule of 3” for extracting lessons from books. I’ve tested several notetaking methods for books, and it’s the only one that’s stuck.

• ▶️ Breaking Barriers: How Shanti Pereira Found Her Speed by The Straits Times. This week, Shanti Pereira won gold in the 200m dash – Singapore’s first track & field gold medal in the Asian Games in 49 years. This video is a reminder that Shanti’s achievement is just the tip of the iceberg after years of quiet hard work, frustration, and hunger.

• ❝Quote I’m pondering: