When I was coaching basketball there were many conversations with players who weren’t playing as much as they wanted to.
I often referred to the phrase “you’re one sprained ankle away from getting major playing time.  Keep working and be ready.”

While we shouldn’t wish ill will on people for us to get an opportunity to show what we can do, the point of the statement is that we need to keep working to be the best that we can be so when we get the chance we’re ready.

What chance do you want?
To lead?
Be a writer?
More responsibility at work?
Whatever it is that you want you need to keep working at daily.  Control what you can control. Your attitude and your effort.

The fact is that too many people become disgruntled, upset, feel cheated and feel that they will never get a chance so they whine, complain and blame others for their circumstances and/or they just pack up and walk away. 

Remember that your greatest opponent is yourself.  It is not the person playing more minutes, the person who got the promotion  or the person who got the raise with that promotion.

If you are distracted by what others are getting instead of you and not focusing on giving your best effort every moment of every day then you may not, no, you will not be ready to give your best when your best is needed.

Stay ready. You don’t have time to get ready when you’re chance presents itself.

I’m cheering for you.

#leadership #motivation #coaching
#bebetter #beblessed

We all have things that we want.  Dreams for the future.  Goals to accomplish.  I have them. You have them.  Everyone has them. How many people will see them actually happen?  Research tells us only eight percent.  92 percent of people will never see their goals and dreams come to fruition.

Why? It could be lack of a plan to accomplish it or possibly getting discouraged when things get tough but one of the main reasons is that it’s just down right risky and scary.  Fear stops more dreams and stunts more growth than we care to know.

I don’t care for the phrase “you have to want it more” in competitive situations with opponents but when it comes to competing against yourself it can apply.

Our biggest opponent is often times ourselves and the thoughts and beliefs in our own mind. To reach our dreams and accomplish our goals we have to win the battle with ourself.

You’re not alone if it scares you but get yourself into the eight percent and want it more than it scares you.  You can do it.

I’m cheering for you.

#leadership #motivation #coaching
#bebetter #beblessed

Chances are you have quite a few conversations during the course of your day. Some, of course, have more than others but no matter how many people you talk to in a day the most important conversation you will have will be the constant conversation you have with yourself.

Do you lift yourself up?

Do you speak words of hope and encouragement?

Do you fill your mind with positivity and optimism?

You may be bombarded with negativity from the outside but you need to control that as much as you can.

You must control your own personal thought life. It has such an impact on your mental and physical well-being as well.

Words of hope?
Words of truth?
Words of power?

Speak them to yourself first and they will then flow to those around you and those you lead and influence. Don’t take your most important conversations for granted. They really do matter.

I’m cheering for you.

#leadership #motivation #coaching #bebetter #beblessed

Sometimes we get anxious about the future. Don’t settle for a short-term fix when the end game is what really matters. Trust that there may be something better out there for you but it will happen when the time is right.

What you are doing now is preparing you for that something better and it (the present moment) must finish its work in you as it prepares you and helps you become better.

Stay the course and give your best today where you are because where you are today needs the best you. If there is to be something better it won’t happen without you doing what you need to do well today.

Change is hard. Some days it starts first thing in the morning as you try to get out of bed on a cold winter morning.

It is so comfortable and under the blankets and you know that the moment you get out from under them it is going to be a shock to the system and it is going to be uncomfortable for awhile.

But what eventually happens? You get used to being up, your body forgets about being tucked under the comfort of the blankets (hopefully) and you move on with your day.

The moment we accept the fact that change needs to happen, is going to happen and that being uncomfortable for awhile is part of the process the sooner we can move on with whatever changes may need to happen.

To grow, to be better today than you were yesterday you need to accept the comfort in being uncomfortable. If you are uncomfortable you have an opportunity to be better.

Embrace being uncomfortable. It’s the only way to truly experience the changes that you need and desire.

#leadership #motivation #coaching #bebetter #beblessed