Entrepreneurs have more in common with athletes than immediately meets the eye.

Entrepreneur and athlete are not only job titles, but lifestyles. The lifestyles of top-performing athletes and entrepreneurs are quite similar, as both are constantly sharpening their bodies and/or minds in order to achieve an ever-higher level of performance. Here are a few lessons that Entrepreneurs can learn from athletes.

1. Know what you’re trying to achieve. A sprinter is always working to cross the finish line one hundredth of a second sooner. Try to take a similar attitude towards whatever your current task is, whether it be sales, delivery, or anything else. Work to make it slightly better every time the process is repeated. Small and clear goals also help build up your confidence.
2. Learn how to handle pressure. It’s not like athletes were always unfazed by the jeers and shouts of a stadium. It takes time and effort to build up the confidence to handle that. Likewise, entrepreneurship requires you to handle pressure and remain calm.
3. Learn from your failures. A good athlete takes a moment to question why each of their failures had to happen, and they try to correct the mistake in future. You need to do the same thing with your business.
4. Stay in the zone. Athletes can’t afford to get distracted, and a split second decision can change the whole game. Keep working at your business the way an athlete works at theirs.
5. Competition is a good and motivational factor. Athletes don’t fear the competition because it is what motivated them in the first place. Don’t be afraid to be competitive and take calculated risks with your business. If you try to one-up other entrepreneurs in business, you may find yourself performing at a higher level.
6. Have grit. Many of the biggest names in both sports and business credit their patience and grit for their success.
7. Stop comparing yourself to others. This is very different than being competitive, however. You should always want your business to do well, and to eventually do better than other businesses. That doesn’t mean you should feel bad about not succeeding yet. KFC’s Colonel Sanders didn’t achieve his signature successes until he was into his 60s.