Buy In! How to sell yourself the dream

I know we all have that friend that magically gets sick or has an injury when its time to get on the line! At one point in every athletes career he or she gets to a point where they dread going to practice, They shy away from strength and conditioning, or they flat out just skip on our post work out recovery. The phrase "fake it to make it" is used often in the sport's world to get through these struggles, but why should we have to fake it at all? Why do we have to fake passion, energy and the will power to be able work hard and push through a barrier?

There are two simple answers to this question that align with each other. The first is we allow our temporary feelings to be worth more than what we want to accomplish in the long term. It's a trap that is very easy to fall into. At times we are so feeble minded to allow ourselves to be satisfied with being lazy. The craziest part is that we accept this laziness and make this mental habit part of our routine. The second answer to this question is that we don't appreciate the opportunity that is presented. Tomorrow is not promised so why struggle to get up when you have the chance to do what you love today? There is always someone who will want to take your place in anything you are doing, if you don't want to be there give your spot to someone who does. However just know when it's gone you'll miss it more than you will ever know. This sense of entitlement is commonly seen throughout sport and most of the time athletes are very unaware of how they think about their opportunities. Due to this, just like answer one they do not take full advantage of their opportunities which can hinder the results of their goals later on.

Buying In

If you, your family, or your group have a goal or a dream, BUY IN. To do this you must first sell yourself the dream ( the end goal). When I say that to people they always ask "what does that mean", but it's exactly like it sounds, sell your dream to yourself. List why this is something you want, lay out all of the bells and whistles, make it look nice and shiny then wrap a bow on it! Just like anything thats worth having know that this shiny, nice, wonderful dream comes with a price. An easy way to look at it is that your goal is way too expensive to buy up front so you take mortgage. Most dreams aren't measured by a monetary value we definitely pay our dues in many ways! Your dream has to be special enough to push you through those dues and make sure you pay up and build equity. For instance if your dream was to get to eat that delicious cheeseburger at the end of a treacherous path, you wouldn't envision that cheeseburger to be just bun. No, no, no I want that burger loaded! I want three juicy patties, bacon, onion rings, the sauces and fresh tomatoes on it. Don't get me started on what I want on the side! Your end goals should look brighter than the stars so you can always find your way to it.

After you have sold yourself on your dream, well now its time to start building equity. You're ready to buy your shiny dream but you now have to understand what it takes to acquire it in full. This is where you list what you have to do to get it. Be real, what can you do daily to get where you need to be. Focus on what you can control and execute it to the best of your ability. There will be ups and down but your shiny goal will keep you going in the right direction. Everyone's goals and dreams will be different but no matter how different we are, we all face fatigue, stress, and adversity while accomplishing our goals; However some will never accomplish their goals even though they are extra shiny and they understand the price. They never get to their destination because of their mindset.

Mentally Fit

Your mindset can make or break you in anything you do. People say they want to be the best at something but sleep all day. If you sleep all day I bet you'll be good at sleeping but if you want to be the best scorer in the world you're only going to do that in your dreams with those actions. With that being said your mind controls what you do, my philosophy is that if your mind wants something bad enough your body will follow. You have to be mentally fit to endure the constant adversity and struggles you will face throughout your path to your goal. The mentally fit attack those struggles head on and will try their best too over come those small barriers consistently while feeling good about their progress. The mentally weak will consistently run into the barriers and make excuses for their shortcomings. If you want to learn how to change a habit, try to wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual. When you are about to hit snooze think about your goal and what you could do with that extra 30 minutes! Just the act alone and your thoughts behind that action will show you what I am trying to relay.

Now earlier I mentioned entitlement, This is the biggest dream killer! The feeling as if you can do this any time or you're too good for a given opportunity, is often the worst thing you can do. As mentioned above there will always be people out for your spot. So if you think you're the only one who has a dream you are sadly mistaken. Most who are mentally fit do not think the world owes them anything, they take every opportunity and crush it! The mentally fit do not have a sense of entitlement towards an opportunity, they appreciate the opportunity. For instance they do not dread practice and say "I have to go to practice today", they look forward to practice and say "I get to go to practice today"! The first mind set are those who fake it to make it. The second mindset are those who will genuinely want to work hard. This helps you stay in the present while focusing on your end goal as well. By appreciating each day and opportunity it will allow you to cherish the road to that shiny goal that much more.

When you are mentally fit you are now ready to BUY IN. At this point you have established your goal, you understand what it takes to get there, you have become mentally fit enough to pursue it so the only thing that is left is to totally buy in and make sure you have every ounce of equity you need to own that goal completely. This is easier said than done but with the ground work laid above you will definitely have a solid foundation to start on! Continue to work for what you want and never waiver. The BUY IN is all about the belief in yourself. Feel no doubt as your goal is worth it. Feel no doubt because the work you put in has prepared you to do it. Feel no doubt because you are strong! BUY IN to your dreams!!

YOU CAN DO IT!

The Wrap Up

You can control your destiny go get what you want: Establish what it is, understand what it takes to get there, become mentally fit, BUY IN.