Every day we make small decisions that carry oversized effects.
For example, my decision every morning to snooze my alarm or get up on the 1st ring changes my entire day. And that decision only takes 5 seconds.
If I get up with my alarm:
- I get myself up cleaned and feeling
- I go for a walk or stretch and get my system primed and
- I cook and prep for the day and my energy is
- I can focus on my wife for a moment before work and I feel connected.
Now when I begin my work, I feel fresh, alert, and connected. My work reflects that, and I am productive. The confidence and preparation that I feel shines through, and I produce quality work. The quality work then influences and helps others which in turn brings me more opportunities grow the power that I use shape my own life.
When the work is done, I step away with feelings of progress and gratification. I walk away with confidence and excitement for the next day. When I see my wife after work, I still have energy because I've fueled myself well and I've put far less strain on my emotions by being prepared. We can connect, and I am bolstered by the feelings of a relationship. I feel clear headed and ready to repeat the process.
But if I do not get up with my alarm:
- I jump out of bed in a panic that I'm late.
- I throw water in my hair, and I feel
- I don't gather myself, so I bounce from idea to idea.
- I eat nothing or something quick and feel
- Because I'm in a hurry, I'm short and dismissive of my wife
Now, when I start work, I already feel behind and sporadic. My work reflects that I am only half-present. The work I put out lacks quality and it does not resonate with the potential client. Now I have fewer opportunities for growth and I spin my wheels in feelings of inadequacy. Without progress I am far less motivated to return the next day.
When my work is done, I feel exhausted from a day of playing catch up. I feel no pride in what I have created nor any progress. Because I am drained, I make compulsive decisions such as eating the easiest thing and distracting myself with what is most absorbing (most likely YouTube). When I see my wife after work, she senses how distant I am and all she gets is my leftover frustration. I am withdrawn emotionally, and I have feelings of insecurity around the work I have done that persist and lead me to repeating the cycle.
In the life of a baseball player, there are many important decisions just like my decision to rise with my alarm or to snooze it and run late.
The cafeteria:
Cereal OR protein?
The gym:
Scroll on your phone OR execute a focused plan?
In your room or apartment:
Play Xbox until 3:00 in the morning OR clean your laundry, organize, and go to sleep?
For most baseball players they make the wrong decisions and because of it they have overblown effects they suffer through. When frustration comes, most players make the same mistake: THEY PASS OFF BLAME ONTO THEIR SITUATION, OR SOMEONE ELSE.
Most players are completely unaware that their behaviors and their choices carry such consequences.
The ultimate realization is that a little choice in the day can change the trajectory of your career and life. This realization is both convicting and empowering because you truly are shaping your destiny one decision at a time.
Next time you (as a player or even a parent) find yourself reaching for these things:
All-District honors
The starting position
Scholarship money
The coach’s approval
Twitter recognition
Showcase rankings…
Remember that all these things are not things that you can simply choose to have NOW.
These are things you have chosen 1,000 times already…daily.
I recommend getting a journal, watching yourself as if you were a fly on the wall of your own life, and recording the choices that set your day either negatively or positively.
Go to war with those little decisions and what you want will seem to appear out of thin air.