Why does 5 am matter?

So ‘Why does 5 am matter. . .?’

The question as to Why 5 am matters, is all about your goal, your commitment and your dedication.

Today, the Rio Olympics are in progress. A global event that brings athletes from all continents, all nations and all walks of life to compete in the games and the sport they love, to achieve . . . their goal to be the best in the world in their athletic field.  They did not come to Rio to lose or be a spectator or to socialize but to give the best of themselves and to represent their country.  They have been driven to be in Rio for a very long time.  This is their goal.

So when I say why does 5 am matter, it is in a way related to all of the athletes who compete, not only at the Olympics but also at local, state/provincial, national and global levels.  All of these athletes have a goal, a passion, a desire, the commitment and the dedication to win and achieve it.

So ‘Why does 5 am matter. . .?’

To achieve any goal takes sacrifice.  It means doing more than your friend, your competitor, or your peer does.  It means filling your day with hard work, from sunrise to sunset and even beyond.  It means losing out on social events because you goal is too important.

Like many parents of children that have a dream, I know what 5 am means. 

My daughter’s passion was swimming.  Every day meant waking up each morning to get her to the pool for morning practice, before school.  It also meant getting her to the after school practice as well because the pools in our city were located at the Universities. 

We did this everyday of the week, but we did it because she was committed to doing it and becoming a better swimmer.  She had a goal.  To make it to the Provincial and National level, which meant she would have a chance at the Olympics.

We totally supported our daughter and wanted to give her every opportunity to do what she wanted to do.   But the goal, the drive and the commitment all came from her.

So ‘Why does 5 am matter?’   Because that is what she needed to do, to succeed.  To become better, to be stronger and faster than her peers, she had to be fully focused on her goal and that meant doing what most people won’t do.  She was committed to the training program that would get her to her goal. 

That is why 5 am matters.

Today all the athletes at the Olympics in Rio are there because they never lost sight of the end goal.  To be there, to compete for their country, and to compete for themselves.  All of them made tremendous sacrifice in their life leading up to the games, but it was a choice, their choice, one that was based on their goal to achieve the highest level of performance and recognition, that got them there. 

I watched my daughter go through this process for over 6 years, never complaining, never tiring of the schedule, and never giving up. Having reached Provincial Level and National level was not enough and she never stopped going after her dream of competing in the Olympics.

But here’s the thing, because of her unstoppable drive, she attended University on an full athletic scholarship, was her women’s swim team captain, won conference championships 3 of the 4 years at university, and completed both an Undergraduate and a Master’s degree in her allotted time. 

Is she a better, stronger person because of this – I definitely think so. 

Is she goal-oriented, committed and dedicated to whatever she does – absolutely!! 

It has made her a better person overall, she has run marathons, committed her time to worthwhile charities, and set new goals to make her life even better.    

So ‘Why does 5 am matter . . .?’

Do you have what it takes to go beyond the routine?  Success is not based on what everyone else is doing – it is based on what you are doing that is more than your competition.  This takes the ability to never give up no matter how bad the situation becomes. 

It means being totally focused on what you want to achieve.

The swimmers of the Rio Olympics are champions because they did not do the same things as everyone else.  They did more. They trained harder, spent more time in the pool, had great support from their parents, applied the advice from their coaches, and maintained an attitude focused on their end goal, to succeed at the Olympic level.  They never wavered, and that is why they are winning Olympic medals. 

So that is why 5 am matters.  It is about being totally focused on your goal, never losing sight of it, making personal sacrifices, never giving up and willing to do what ever it takes to get there.

That is ‘Why 5 am matters!’