It's true that at first glance, the parallel might seem far-fetched. But all it takes is asking the right questions, and suddenly, the revelation hits. Would you step into a boxing ring without preparing your strategy and without proper training ? The answer seems obvious, and the same is true when you embark on entrepreneurship . It's just you and the rest of the world. An entrepreneur is a competitor who fights for their projects.
Moreover, the figures speak for themselves: globally, one in three businesses was led by a woman in 2020. That same year, there was a 9% increase in business creation under the micro-entrepreneur scheme, with 39% of those businesses being run by women. Whether you're the CEO of a multinational corporation or a micro-entrepreneur, you have one goal in mind: to become a champion in your field. And to achieve this, you need to prepare thoroughly. This requires both physical and mental preparation to develop a solid strategy, where the boxing ring and the office become one.
From the field to the office, a similar philosophy
Shared values
Rigour and discipline . These two powerful values might seem daunting, but they are fundamental for both athletes and entrepreneurs. The athlete trains relentlessly and pushes themselves to the limit. They embody the will to succeed through hard work and will do everything in their power to achieve victory, both in training and in the ring. The entrepreneur, on the other hand, doesn't back down from adversity or setbacks. They move forward , fall , and get back up until they reach the top. They have only one goal in mind: to be the best in their field. For both, failure is neither considered nor even conceivable. Obstacles may arise during the process, but for true competitors, they are not seen as abysses into which they sink, but rather as springboards from which they rebound to emerge stronger. Moreover, micro-enterprises managed by women generally fail less often than those managed by men: 3.1% for women versus 5% for men, enough to motivate you to get started!
No, pessimism has no place in either world. Optimism is essential to being the best. Doubt is an important part; it allows for necessary perspective , but it must never be a hindrance in decisive moments. To reach the top, one must avoid resorting to doubt at times when it's not appropriate, and to counter this, one must always see the bright side. One must be able to observe one's "opponent" to see the opportunity , however small it may seem, and above all, never give up. Every difficult moment offers a glimmer of hope , a solution that must be seized at the right time. This observation can be facilitated by optimism , which gives free rein to hope and empowers us to move forward.
Aligned objectives
Moving forward is important, but where to? It's true that for athletes, the goal is simple: to be first . Well, it's the same for entrepreneurs! Reaching the top isn't easy, and "Rome wasn't built in a day." It's crucial to define milestones to achieve before aiming for the summit, because you don't reach it by chance.
On both sides, the objective is the same, but the preparation is done well in advance and in very different ways. Athletes train to address their weaknesses and/or improve their strengths to defeat their opponent(s) by maximizing their chances of success. This involves training determined by a coach or by oneself, with quantifiable or at least verifiable objectives. The goal is to develop the physical and mental strength to achieve great things when the time comes, but that's not enough. When we visualize our objective , our success rate increases on average from 40% to 80% simply by creating a mental image of where we want to go and how.
It is also true that in all disciplines involving direct confrontation with a physically present opponent, it is essential to study them before stepping into the ring or onto the field. Observing one's opponent's previous matches, analyzing their movements, identifying their strengths and weaknesses—all of this to establish an effective strategy against them—is a key step in one's ascent to the top.
This is where both sides meet, but where the entrepreneur must excel. Having an idea and the courage to launch it is a great start, but without a strategy, you're headed straight for disaster. Studying the current market , observing what the competition is doing, defining your own strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing potential gaps and markets are all aspects that the entrepreneur must constantly research. It's less about training, as the entrepreneur doesn't have the opportunity to perfect their techniques, and more about adaptation , responsiveness , and perseverance . By defining quantifiable and measurable objectives, you can begin your journey on a solid foundation. When you're on the field, or simply when you're running, you don't aim to become a world champion in one race; you take it step by step . The same principle applies to entrepreneurship. Take the time to clearly define your strategy and objectives and you will see that the results will be clearer and you will no longer be moving forward in a thick fog.
Failure to rise again
Failure is by no means inevitable ; quite the opposite. It is the very embodiment of learning and growth . In sports, failure or defeat is simply a way to understand our weaknesses in order to overcome these problems and become stronger. It is a necessary step to build power and transform our imperfections into formidable weapons . We analyze , we understand , and we act —simple, effective, and the machine returns to square one for training.
For entrepreneurs, the key is understanding when, why, and how they could have, or could, change the trend. It's crucial to fully grasp the reasons for this failure. Claude Grandjean , a former business leader, illustrates this point in his book, " Failure, the First Step Towards Success ." He explains that failure can be experienced in two different ways: either as frustration that must be overcome , or viewed as an opportunity , as Henry Ford illustrated by saying, "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." That's certainly motivating enough to get back on track after a stumble!
The key is to successfully transform failure . It is an integral part of the performance of a business creator or an athlete and shapes a powerful mind .
The entrepreneur becomes a formidable athlete
Each person's spirit is forged through experiences , training, and, as we've seen, failures that lead to perseverance . In both worlds, one develops an idea, a vision, an ambition. The entrepreneur, like the athlete, gives their all to reach the top, and during the effort, they feel overflowing with energy and ready to move mountains; and of course, this feeling doesn't come from nowhere.
This feeling of self-confidence stems in particular from learning, becoming more competent and adept with one's own resources. In entrepreneurship, one enhances strategies , techniques , agility , and problem-solving skills. Indeed, it's crucial to step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself, both physically and mentally. Taking risks is essential to stand out from the crowd while remaining consistent. It's true that this kind of decision is a real gamble, a high-stakes gamble, but it's the strength, the allure, and the appetite for risk that make entrepreneurship a unique adventure . This will also allow you to test your ability to anticipate negative aspects. Generally speaking, there's very little chance that everything will go according to plan. Therefore, it's essential to consider how we would react to an unforeseen situation.
The world of entrepreneurship is a noble art requiring diverse and varied skills, a strong mindset, and well-honed techniques. But in this kind of hostile environment, whether in sports or business, the winner is not always the strongest, but the one who launches the right attack at the right time .
A healthy body in a winning mindset!
A daily workout
If sport is about perseverance and motivation , the same is true for entrepreneurship. Despite very different training methods, both require honing techniques and strategies. For business leaders, learning is somewhat more complex and offers no way to test their knowledge. Their newly acquired skills must be learned on the job and will be refined over time. To understand if something works, one must be willing to take the plunge, try things out, fall, get back up, and adapt as needed until the desired results are achieved.
As we have already mentioned, the entrepreneur must set measurable and achievable objectives in order to analyze their progress:
- The implementation of KPIs and other measurement tools
- Conduct a skills and performance review (semi-annually or annually)
- Before being efficient, one must be effective; first, do the right things before doing them well!
In reality, we do it without realizing it, but not necessarily in the way we imagine. When you think about it, the rules of training are the same for athletes as for entrepreneurs:
- Acquire new methods and automatic responses
- To jolt one's body to force it to progress
- Getting your body used to “ effort ”
Just as athletes need a coach, many business leaders don't train and learn alone. In fact, 51% of them have received support from public organizations .
Learning to listen to your body and mind
Yes, it's important to re-evaluate one's lifestyle, which is just as important for well-being as it is for performance. Often neglected by business leaders, health is becoming an increasingly important concern for entrepreneurs, especially young ones.
The number of people who enjoy morning exercise is countless, and that's a good thing! As a result, you can get everything you need to be efficient:
- Better concentration
- Improved stress resistance
- Less fatigue
- A greater work capacity
Also, over time, we often notice that our performance declines. In order to maintain peak performance and sustain it over time, certain simple abstinences and a discipline that isn't too complicated to follow allow us to keep up the pace without too much of a setback. This boils down to a few key rules:
- Do sports 4 to 5 times a week
- Avoid alcohol during the week
- Avoid eating dishes containing too much added sugar
- Maintain one full day of rest per week (no work, no phone).
Alongside this, it's essential to listen to your body. In this sense, there's no point in working yourself to the bone if you don't feel well. Ease off the pressure a little , adjust your day, and you'll benefit in the long run, both physically and mentally!
It's important to mentally visualize your goals and challenges to anticipate them, and to adopt a resolutely positive mindset to reach the top! Success is 20% skills and 80% attitude. This proportion certainly increases in entrepreneurship, given the significant challenges involved.
So, we leave nothing to chance and you are your only limit!
No Limit, Just U!
