So it’s a new year, and hopefully you’ve taken some time to assess and set some good goals for the year ahead. If you haven’t yet, do it now – write them down!
Read my article on the importance of assessing and setting goals to learn why that’s important.
But even when we start out with good goals and the best intentions, it’s easy to lose momentum as the year goes on. We lose that energy and enthusiasm we had at the outset. This is where the emotional component comes in, something I talked more about in my article on dreaming BIG.
So how do you stay motivated?
Great athletes are self-motivated. They constantly challenge themselves and push themselves to get better. They’re driven by an inner, burning desire to be their best. And that’s a big part of what makes them great, what separates them from their competition. But where does that inner fire come from?
Listen to Ray Lewis talk about where his drive comes from (I watched it again last night and it got me all fired up).
See, just having a goal isn’t enough. Achieving anything truly worthwhile takes hard work, and you have to be willing to sacrifice and take action, day after day.
There’s that great Tom Hanks quote from A League of Their Own when he says. “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everybody would do it. The hard… is what makes it great.”
When it comes to your goals, if you want to see them through, you have to stay motivated and committed. It has to be something bigger than a wish or something you would just like to accomplish. You have to want it! That desire is something that comes from within – no one else can give it to you.
[h5]You have to know your “Why” [/h5]
“You can accomplish any Thing if you have a big enough Why.” – Unknown
Ask yourself why you are training, why do you want to be a better pitcher, why are you willing to put in all of the hard work, why will you not settle for anything but your best? What are your goals this off-season?
Want to make your high school team?
Why?
Want to pitch in college or get a college scholarship?
Why?
Want to get drafted?
Why?
Want to pitch in the big leagues?
Why?
Take this seriously and give it some real thought. One approach can be to take a long walk, go for a jog, or just shut yourself in a room alone in quiet thought and keep asking yourself “Why?” as you let your mind wander.
Your “why” should be personal, unique to you. But when you know your why, it has a way of making everything else clear. Your training becomes more focused. More intense. More productive.
So what drives you? What’s your Why?
Click “like” below and tell us what’s going to keep you motivated this year!
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