Or “Don’t Quit Your Day Job” Part II. I recently wrote about the benefits of sticking out your 9 to 5 and how peace of mind is truly priceless but if you need any more confirmation that you can have a day job and STILL accomplish amazing things while pursuing your passion on the side, let me introduce you to a few Olympic athletes who have done just that.
When I first stumbled across this article yesterday I was shocked. I’d always held this assumption that in order for an athlete to reach the pinnacle of their sport and become an Olympian they had to devote every second of their life to their training. But here’s the truth: Not all Olympians are supported by corporate sponsors and instead are totally self-funded. And how do they do it? By working a regular job like everyone else.
Tomoko Sakagami–Pizza Delivery Driver
Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images
Matt Mortensen–Handyman
Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Elana Meyers–Substitute Teacher
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
These people aren’t just amazing athletes but they’re physician’s assistants and corporate lawyers and engineers and teachers. They’re technicians and handymen and even pizza delivery drivers! But they’re also living out their dreams–something that isn’t hindered by their 9 to 5 jobs but aided by it. Because it funds their training and because it gives them the freedom to spend their time outside of work on the things they’re truly passionate about. Out of the thousands of athletes that participate in the Olympics, only a select few of them reach the kind of celebrity status that allows them to derive an income from that sport all year round. Much like the fact that there are only a small number of writers who can afford to be just that. But for the rest of us, these athletes are such incredible examples of how to find that balance between passion and responsibility and how having a “regular” job doesn’t mean that we can’t still achieve our dreams. Because in fact, by having a 9 to 5, we might actually be closer to them than we think.
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Whoa! I never thought about Olympic athletes having regular jobs, but that makes a lot of sense. How inspiring!
I know! I guess I never even considered it because it sounded so impossible and yet it’s so obvious at the same time. But it’s truly inspiring just to know that even dreams that big can still be achieved despite having a day job.