I’ve been out of competition for a year now, so I took some time to reflect on how my lifestyle has changed since then. The one glaring realization that I found was that I haven’t made a “championship game” for myself. Sure, I’ve accomplished things that got me to where I am now, but I no longer have that end goal, that last game where you leave it all on the field. I have nothing in sight to truly work towards - no playoffs, no end of season. My schedule used to revolve around my studies and lacrosse. I now no longer have either. Now I spend my time on my profession, clients, continuing education, and balancing it all.
This has brought me to my next thought - seasons. Athletes, whether it’s collegiate or professional, all have a schedule. Preseason, in-season, post season, off-season. Four extremely specific structured times of the year. Each season comes with a very specific style of training, not to mention varying time commitments and mindsets. I knew (or at least figured out) exactly what I should be doing, how hard I should be doing it, and when I should be “resting.” There is no guideline once those seasons stop. After speaking to some of my friends and teammates, I began to hear a common statement - without a schedule in their face, they feel lost. A lot of them mentioned they find it hard to motivate or create their own “seasons.” For so long they had to reconstruct their schedule to fit their athletic seasons. And yes, this was by choice.
When I hear people say they’re “in a slump,” I smile because I’ve said it too without even realizing what it really is. It’s just another expression for those who are refusing to do something about it. Be a badass and show up! It is up to you to determine your end goal and how you produce success and happiness in a well balanced lifestyle throughout the year. I came to realize it doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, we choose to be busy.
We choose how we spend our day - every hour of it. Not just what we’re physically doing, but this includes how you spend time in your mind (your internal dialogue). All of it is in your control. So create the best schedule for yourself that you can. Wake up everyday asking yourself, what is next? How can you improve day to day, week to week, month to month. Create everyday battles that challenge you because life is about growth as well as failure. You need both to succeed and there is no way around it.
Find what drives you and create it. Every. Single. Day. Your season starts now, so what will it be?
