Page 38 - Fully Equipped Playbook

CHAPTER 6: GOAL SETTING
Here’s some food for thought to get the goal setting conversation started. “Dreams are free. Goals have a cost. While you can daydream for free, goals don’t come without a price. Time, effort, sacrifice, and sweat. How will you pay for your goals.”- Usain Bolt.
Usain Bolt makes an important point. Anyone can dream of making it to the top, but what are you willing to do to get there? In order to translate those dreams into reality, you will have to ask yourself what you are willing to sacrifice to get to the top? How hard will you work? How badly do you want it? Athletes at the very top of their game have had to sacrifice much along the way. Whether it was deciding between multiple sports, putting in extra work after a bad game, not going on that trip with friends, saying no to going out, putting down those unhealthy food choices, you get my point. To be the best you must be willing to pay the price so to speak. You can dream it, but can you put in the effort needed to achieve it?
It’s important to set realistic goals for yourself, but that’s just the beginning. Now you must make a plan so you can achieve them. This step is vital in your success. Goals can give you direction, but more importantly they will hold you accountable and keep you focused along the way. There are correct ways to set and achieve goals, and as I explain, this too is a learning process. It’s also sometimes hard to decipher between a dream and a goal. Reflecting now, I understand that my dreams led me to set goals, which I then had to work to achieve.
Be kind to yourself during this process, your goals will evolve, just as you do. They may be simple at first, and grow to be more complex as you mature, and things are better put into perspective.
The first time I remember having goals was when I was an adolescent. I wanted to go to Williamsport and play in the Little League World Series. Then I remember wanting to make the AAU/travel teams, and the varsity baseball team as a freshman in High School. From there the goal was to become an All-American in High School, then I wanted to play D1 baseball, be selected in the 1st Round of the MLB draft, play in the Big Leagues a year later, and finally become a 10-time all- star with a 20 year career! I was definitely a dreamer!
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