To qualify for the Olympics years ago, athletes had to prove they held amateur status, meaning they were not getting paid to train, work and improve their skillset.

Their source of income had to come from outside the boundaries of their training. If the Olympic committee discovered there was an exchange of money from a sports company to an athlete, they were disqualified. 

Times have changed, as now all the participants are well paid by shoe companies, athletic wear makers and others. There are no real amateurs in the games, which isn’t to imply they are all making large sums of money, only they can live their life around their quest for a gold medal. 

In reality, the monetary exchange for the athletes had no bearing on their status. Going back to the start of the Olympics in ancient Greek times, the athletes were professionals because they devoted every waking hour to being great. With every move they made during their day, the quest to be the best at their sport consumed their minds, their habits and lifestyle. 

We might have called them amateurs, but their behavior was that of pros. 

Even though we are not participating in the Olympics games this summer in Paris, we all have to decide are we a professional or an amateur? 

So, what’s the difference?

Amateurs set goals. Professionals have systems. 

Amateurs gain validation from the scoreboard. Professionals from the process.

Amateurs never gain confidence from within. Professionals gain confidence without evidence. 

Amateurs don’t understand the difference between coaching and criticism. Professionals do. 

Amateurs are quickly satisfied. Professionals always ask what is next?

Amateurs hate practice. They want to have fun. Professionals embrace the work. 

Amateurs want more will power. Professionals have default behaviors. 

Amateurs make decisions for the current moment, don’t care about tomorrow. Professionals have sustainable values when it comes to decision making skills, always asking is this the right choice even if I am not here? 

Amateurs never share their knowledge. Professionals want to spread their wisdom.

Amateurs allow their ego to rule the day. Professionals are egoless. 

Amateurs love to play the blame game. Professionals love accountability. 

Amateurs react to the noise from the outside. Professional never hear noise. 

Amateurs love the attention, say yes to everything. Professionals understand how to say no. 

Amateurs want to be liked. Professionals want to be respected. 

Amateurs believe in luck. Professionals believe in hard work. 

Amateurs celebrate wins. Professionals understand the wins. 

Amateurs downplay the losses. Professionals embrace defeat as a learning tool. 

Amateurs can only see the obvious. Professionals find the non-obvious. 

Getting a paycheck doesn’t make you a professional. Being a pro requires more than money. 

So, which are you? 

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