Now that we’ve got a written personal mission statement, we have to figure out how to make it become a reality.
For something as complicated as becoming a varsity student hockey player, this may seem like a daunting task. Yes, it will take a lot of work. But achieving this goal is possible.
Map The Route
The first step to achieving any goal is to plan out how you will get there. Make a list of all the steps that you will need to complete to meet your goals. Map out the steps into a written plan, complete with deadlines and requirements.
Luckily, in many cases when we’re trying to reach a complicated goal, someone has already done this for us.
For example, let’s use a very common goal… The goal of graduating from high school. The curriculum provided teachers lays out all the steps for us. The subjects and courses you must take. The order you take them in. The detailed curriculum for each of these courses. How you will be tested and evaluated. What the daily homework will be. Even when all of them occur. To help you complete the work, attendance at school and in class is mandatory. All you have to do is follow the steps. Show up for class and do your homework and you will graduate.
By breaking down something that is very complicated into a detailed step-by-step plan, it becomes relatively easy to achieve. In fact, in Canada nearly 90% of all working age adults have graduated high school. This is one of the highest rates in the world.
Been there… Done that!
Luckily, for most of the goals that you’d like to achieve, someone has already accomplished the goal and the steps they took to succeed can be copied.
Want to become a top golfer? There are thousands of good golf instructors as well as hundreds of books and videos that will tell you how. There are over 35,000 scratch golfers in the U.S. with a handicap of 0.0 or better (Source U.S.G.A. handicapping data).
Want to learn to play guitar or learn a new language? Hundreds of thousands of people already can play the guitar and nearly everyone on the planet can speak some language. In fact, many people have learned to play guitar or speak another language by watching videos on YouTube.
Want to be come the Prime Minister of Canada? There have been 23 people who have already done it. In most cases their path to the job is well documented.
Want to play on an Ontario university women’s hockey team? There are currently approximately 300 players (12 teams x 25 player roster). And thousands more alumni who’ve done the same.
Success can be modeled. Been there and done that!
The Importance of a Coach
Today, there is more information than ever readily available on nearly any topic you can imagine. Sorting through the overload can be really difficult.
This is where a good coach comes in. A good coach can lay out much of the plan for you. Unfortunately, many coaches are only concerned with their current team and don’t put much effort into planning long term for your success. Or, they aren’t focused on the right things that ultimately will make you successful.
As an example, many coaches focus most of their effort on team defense and team systems such as the power play. This is often at the expense of time spent on developing the individual skills that you will need to become a top student hockey player.
You need to find a coach who has experience guiding players like you all the way through to your goals. Let them map out the route for you. Then, it’s up to you to follow the map.
Tomorrow, we’ll start creating your map to success.
Today’s Assignment:
- Continue working on your personal mission statement from yesterday. Post it somewhere you’ll see it every day (maybe on a bulletin board or mirror in your room). Once you’ve got it somewhere you’ll see it, take a PHOTO of it and post the photo to the team WhatsApp group.
- Add a version of your personal mission statement to your Athlete Profile on Google Drive. You may want to modify it so that it isn’t too personal and makes sense for coaches and recruiters.
- Complete today’s workout on the TeamBuildr app. Be sure to mark each exercise complete as you finish it. Depending on your schedule (other sports, work, etc.) it is okay to complete the exercises on another day or even substitute an alternate workout provided that the difficultly level is similar. Please make note of any substitutions or switches as part of the daily check in item in the TeamBuildr app.
What are you doing today to Feed The Monster?
