"I am strong because I have been weak. I am fearless because I've been afraid. I'm wise because I've been foolish."
- Anonymous
The yin and yang of life. You can’t fully appreciate a positive experience without experiencing a negative experience. With that said, you can’t build character unless you are willing to take chances to succeed and fail.
Failure is the test to see how you will come out the other side. There are times when you have the overwhelming desire to quit and yet, you decide not to. There are also times when you can’t do anymore so you stop and call it quits. The difference between success and failure isn’t about the results, it’s how you decide to act and react.
Here are tips to help you persevere and rise to the challenge:
1. Intention, create meaning in all the things you do. Define your values and passions for life because you can’t turn it on for sports and turn it off for work or school.
2. Road Map, your road map is your short term and long term goals. It is your guide and your reminder to stay the course. Take time to write down your goals and review them daily.
3. Time Management, carve out blocks of time during the day to get things done. Use that time wisely.
4. Peaks and Plateaus, throughout an athlete’s career and even within one season, an athlete will experience peaks and plateaus. Through good times and challenging times, refer to your road map and stay the course.
5. Mistakes and setbacks, when you commit full effort and intention to your sport, it is easier to overcome setbacks. If you commit to something and fail, you know what to learn from and what you need to change or improve the next time you compete.
In the end, being present and willing to experience the highs and lows allow you to build toward consistency, confidence, and commitment.
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