Key to Success

There are many people who have preached the keys to success, whether in books or in a classroom, or to your kids at home, or to teammates, or to coworkers. Everyone has a different strategy, and I am sure by this point in your life you have heard many different keys to success, many of which are much easier said than done.

Success is a very personal thing, everyone defines success differently, and therefore the key to everyone’s success will be different, unless you apply my one foolproof key to success. Now this is not a new theory, it was passed on to me by a teammate who learned it from a coach she had years ago, who I am sure learned it from someone, who learned it from someone else and so on so forth. Never the less, I have adopted it and I fully believe it is the only surefire way to gain the success you truly desire.

Here it is:

Quotes – Work

“ We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”

– Carlos Casteneda

I live by this quote, I fully believe happiness is a choice, and I find it frustrating when I have friends who become a perpetual “Debbie Downer.” I think you make a conscious choice in whether you are going to be happy with what you have or whether you are going to sulk about what you don’t have. I think you make a conscious choice in whether you are going to work hard to get what you do want, or if you are going to sit around and dream about all of the things you wish you could have, wish you could be, and wish you could do.

I think people need to spend more time going out and doing, going out and being proactive. I find that a lot of people, including myself, are too okay some days sitting back, letting life happen, and then complaining we are not getting the desired results. It is no more effort on your behalf, it is all about your frame of mind, and it is all about what you are willing to put in. What is that outcome, result worth to you, and what are you doing to make it happen?

I cannot sit around and think my life is terrible, or that things in my world are bad. Yes I do not think this is all I am meant to be, I think that I have a lot of potential, and I want a lot more than I currently have. However complaining about that gets me nowhere, it just slows me down. Instead I am learning, I am growing, and I am working to be better. I am sure one day it will all pay off, and I know that until that day I need to stay positive, and keep working hard.

No-Hitter

Big MLB news last night, the first no hitter of the year!! This is impressive, and even sounded impressive before I knew what it meant. I looked it up right after I saw the news online, I guess there have only been 270 no-hitters since MLB began. That is roughly two a year. The more amazing thing about this no-hitter was it was a team who had not been doing well, and their pitcher as of late had been one of their worst players.  Francisco Liriano was on the verge of being sent to the bullpen for the Minnesota Twins before he showed up and did work last night. It was a sink or swim moment for him and he prevailed. I guess he proved that when his butt was on the line he really could step up and get the job done.

These guys do not make it into this league by mistake; they are very talented ball players, I guess sometimes they just need a kick in the butt. Either way Francisco Liriano not only helped his struggling season, but his teams as well.

Could this be a sign of good things to come for the Twins?

Lent is OVER

I survived all 40 days, or shall I say 46 days, of Lent. I was the only one in my family this year who lasted the duration of Lent. I certainly cannot credit that to my will power, as I believe I do not have any at all. I am competitive, which could be an understatement, and I credit that to my success. You tell me I cannot do something I will prove you wrong.

Last year I gave up my one true addiction… McDonalds. I was eating it two or three times a week, and I was eating over 2000 calories of food each visit. It was the one thing I really did not think I could give up. Many in my life did not think I could survive without it either, which is what made me at least attempt it.

I was lucky enough to have one of my closest friends support me, she really got in my corner, in fact she gave up McDonalds as well. We both accomplished the mission, 46 days without McDonalds. I must admit the first couple of weeks were the most difficult, my body was craving the junk, but once I got passed those first few weeks I felt great. I had more energy than I could remember having in recent history.

I felt accomplished having survived that last year, and in fact I was so proud I did not run out and grab McDonalds the day Lent ended, or the week, or even the month. It took a while, I eventually had some, and I will say I have had it very few times since.

This year I thought I would tackle another challenge in my life, celebrity gossip. It was such a TIME MONSTER for me. I knew most of what I was reading was untrue, however I spent a lot of spare time surfing the web, reading rumors, speculation and lies.

I would be lying if I said I did not miss reading it, or if there were days I was temped to cheat, however I was in the same boat as last time; no one saw success in my future. No one thought I could do this. I unfollowed a whole lot of people on twitter, and deleted many sites off of my favorites. This task I found more difficult than giving up McDonald’s, yet I found it more rewarding. It helped me improve my time management, and really eliminated a lot of procrastinating around exam time (which will hopefully lead to better grades, yet to be determined.)

With all the time I gained I changed up my regular routines a bit, I did not just give up the gossip, I gave up my old way of life. I made more of an effort to meet up with old friends, to catch up with them, made more of an effort to study, and I even started a blog. There were so many different things I found to fill my time, and after the first week I found I was making all kinds of improvements to my life. I was enjoying myself a lot more, and it really opened my eyes up to some of the time monsters I did not choose to give up. I know how silly it sounds, but I really did start to see things in my life a little bit different.

I still have not gone to read any gossip, might do a little catching up before bed, however in the last 46 days I am not sure I missed much at all.

Which area of my life am I going to seek to improve next year, I have yet to determine that as of now, so stay tuned!!

Quotes – Winning

I stumbled upon a great website around September called Y-Athlete, not only do they have a website they have Facebook, Twitter, and a blog as well. They are a great organization, I fully believe in the messages they are promoting, and I have used a lot of their messages in my daily life, in my coaching, in my work, and I feel it has helped me. They reiterated to me many messages I heard from coaches in the past, and it seemed I stumbled upon this site when I needed it most.

Among the videos, articles, and advice I happened upon this quote:

“For me, winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally everyday that you train and every night that you dream.”

 Emmitt Smith

It is not secret I am competitive, and it is not secret I like winning (and it is certainly not a secret that I love football.) However winning to some people means different things. I think this quote captures the essence of that very thought.

It is all about what you are willing to put into the task at hand, it is how hard you are willing to work to be better each day, each play, each moment. Growing up I fell in love with the game of soccer, and I just wanted to be good at the game, I wanted to improve, to succeed. It all started because I wanted to be like my sister, then I found my own way, my own path. Part of my improvement process was watching; I spent a lot of spare time watching teams from my club compete, my mom used to take me to local fields to spend sunny afternoons taking in the game, learning.

At the time one of the teams I had watched was a team of girls roughly 14 or 15 years of age, there were two girls named Sarah on this team. Both were two of the best players in the province for their age. The province was just starting their own National Training Centre; these two Sarah’s were both told they had the potential to be national level soccer players. It was at that moment they took very different paths.

The first Sarah soaked up the compliments; they made her feel great, who wouldn’t love hearing that they are good at something, that they are great at something. She road the compliments the rest of the season, she kept showing up to practices, kept showing up to games, and doing her thing but not much more than that. It seemed like she thought she was good enough, but did not that she could be great. Who knows what any one person thinks. This is not to say she still wasn’t a top player in the province, she was still an unbelievable player, it just seemed as though she was content.

Then there was the second Sarah, she heard those words and it lit a fire within her, she amped everything up. This news inspired her, helped her dream, helped her set goals for herself, she made a plan. She worked day in and day out. The goal for her was not the finish line; it was about more than that for her. She stepped on the field every day, laced up her cleats, gave everything she had to the game no matter if it was a game, practice, kick around, or her working out on her own. She wanted to be better every single day, and she knew that if she gave everything she had, if she focused on the details, if she focused on the work she was putting in, and if she were dedicated she would improve.

There is a happy ending for the second Sarah, she certainly did improve, so much so that she did get her chance to play at a national level. She got to put on a red and white uniform for a while, play on the same team as some of the female soccer stars that still take the field and represent our country today. She did not get to play at this level for a long period of time, however she had other goals in mind. She is someone who truly understood success, for her success was in the baby steps, she understood if she put the work into the small things that big things would come together.

I do not think winning is the moment the game ends and the scoreboard shows you to be victorious (although that is a bonus) I think is more about the journey. It sounds corny, I know. It is my belief that if you dream big, if you work hard and I mean really hard, you can achieve your dreams, and maybe even more. I have a number of people in my life who have preached this to me, I have a number of people who explained it, but I learned the most from those who demonstrated it. For periods of time in my life I have sat back and tried to let victories and successes find me, it just does not cut it. I always get the victory and success only after I put the work in, I have to go out and get what I want. Over the years I have done this many times, and to be honest there is no feeling in the world greater than the feeling of success and accomplishment when you reach those goals, or when you see those dreams come true.

The last few months I have been too willing to let life just happen to me, however the buck stops here, I need to get back to being the person that was willing to die to make things happen.

The Waiting Game

I finished my courses, some over a week ago. Now it is time for the waiting game. I work hard, and I like to see my hard work pay off. It seems every year I pick the courses, and or professors that take the longest to get their grades up. This was my toughest semester, my hardest classes, and I think I responded well. This is why I am so anxious to get my grades back. You just never know what is going to know

I am the most impatient person I know, which makes this waiting game that much tougher.

Hoping everyone keeps their fingers crossed for me!

Time Management

The workload the last three weeks has been stressful, however I shocked myself with how well I managed my time. I knew I was going to be busy, it was to be expected with my course load, and with the amount I had going on. It was like a call to action for the inner planner and time manager in me.

In prior years during exam crunch my time management skills have not been impeccable, and I certainly had a thing or two to learn. I knew what I was going to be up against this year, more specifically this week. As this week got closer and closer I really didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it gracefully, or get any sleep for that matter. Let me say this once, as I do not say it often, I was wrong. It only took me seven exam periods to learn how to properly manage this hectic time of year.

I made the most comprehensive plan I have ever made; I basically made a plan about my plan. I had productivity goals for the weeks leading up to this week. I survived long enough to make it to this week, now I have daily and hourly productivity goals in place. They were basically guidelines, not easy ones to meet; however I must admit thus far I have met every single one. It was difficult, but I really focused on my plan, I really focused on my work, and I had success. It has been a great feeling, and very satisfying to achieve this level of organization, goal setting, and productivity.

I know the week is far from over, and I still have a huge list of things to do; however if I stay motivated, and if I stay on track I should survive the remainder of my university degree. Although this was not a skill taught to me in a course, it is something I can take away from my university experience. Not everything I learned the last four years has been learned in a classroom. Here is to having a million more opportunities to learn, and here is to surviving the rest of my week so I can enjoy the first step to the rest of my life.

Last Class… Bash?

Today was the last time I walked into class and took a seat as an undergraduate student at Mount Saint Vincent University, I do not know how to feel about this. I am very excited that school is coming to an end, that I get to spend my summer on the soccer field, that after four long years and a whole lot of work I am going to cross that finish line.  However there is a scary part to all of this. I am someone who has never really known my end goal, where I want to be or what I am going to end up doing.

With that being said I have always been someone who has forged a path, not always the one of least resistance, but I have made my way to where I am today. I made it here through sheer determination, hard work, some goal setting, and of course I made a ton of lists, and I made lists about those lists. I have always been someone who knows which step comes next, or which project I need to work on next, I am terrified as for the first time I do not know my next move, I feel like my life is so open ended. This could be a great thing for me or it might not be, that has yet to be determined. I am just anxious to find out what is going to happen to me next.

It is not that I am the student who counted the minutes until I got to leave university; I had a great time at The Mount, best four years I have had. I have met some incredible people, I have learned some pretty cool things, and I made some irreplaceable memories. I am grateful for every moment I have had, and every person who made my experience what it was. I am just looking forward to the road that lies ahead, I always seem to find a great adventure or a great experience in everything I choose to do. I am hoping this will be no different.

Four years have come and gone, I am happy I earned a piece of paper I can hang on my wall, but more importantly I am happy about the fact I earned a future, I made friends, I learned a lot about who I was, about who I could be. I had hilarious nights, and I had perfect days. I feel lucky and honoured that I had such a great time, and I am hoping that my future will bring just as many, if not more, good days and happy days than I have already had.

Quotes – Jillian Michaels

Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for, I have been waiting for as long as I can remember. I love a good book, I love even more a book that I can relate to, or be motivated by. Tomorrow morning when I turn on my Kindle Jillian Michael’s new book will be waiting for me.

I thought as I was looking forward to this so much I would post a few of my favourite Jillian Michaels quotes.

“A bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul.”

There is no set of words truer than this, some of those days that just leaving you sad and dejected, broken and failed are those that help you rise up. Those days make you feel human, they heal you, and really make you dig deep to figure out how to get out of life what you really need.

“The past does not define, you the present does.”

You are only as good as the last thing you have done, the last thing you have accomplished as that is what is fresh in your mind as well as what is fresh in the minds of others. To top that off you cannot change the past, and I fully believe that the only way to be successful is by focusing on what we can change rather than what we cannot. We need to focus on our next step, where we are going, not where we have been. One cannot live in the past.

“I am doing the best I can given what I have today.”

To put this simply, you can only give what you have. You are not doing your best if you are not giving 100%, this is not to say 100% will always be the same level of effort, energy, and enthusiasm. However you cannot shame a person (or yourself) for giving you what they have and what they are that day.

“Why are you going to choose failure when success is an option?”

People are too willing to accept failure as they do not have to put much effort forth in order to fail. Success is a choice, a choice you have to make everyday in everything that you do.It requires effort, but if you put in the work, if you set goals, if you go out and try and get them I would be shocked if you failed. I believe failure is a state of mind, and I believe anyone can achieve anything they want to.

Now there are a million other quotes and sound bites from Jillian Michaels that any normal person could find some form of motivation or inspiration in,  these were just a few of my favourite. She is someone who does a lot of good, she is someone who changes people for the better. And I am sure tomorrow when I read her new book, Unlimited, cover to cover I will be changed.

Are you going to pick up your copy of Unlimited, how to build an exceptional life, tomorrow?

Quote – Failing

This quote is one I used to have posted on the walls of my room; it would be the first thing I saw upon waking up. They used to be words I lived by. Somehow, someway at some point on my journey to right now I let these words get away from me. Last night after a long day, I got home and they were posted in a friends Facebook status. Reading the words really took me back, reminded me what they used to mean to me. Some days I am far too hard on myself, and I think I need to start getting back to the place I remember. The place where I took a hard day and turned it into a good one, where I took a failure and turned it into a teachable moment, where anything bad that happened was going to lead me to something bigger and better. I think as we grow up, as we start to face the pressures of the world, we forget that sometimes a mistake or a misstep can be something positive in the end. We put too much pressure on ourselves to be these unflawed, completely errorless perfect humans, which is so far fetched and ridiculous as I can tell you that not one exists in the entire world. So maybe it is time to start embracing your trips, your falls, and your slipups, you cannot undo what has been done, you cannot go back in time and win the big game or make the big shot, but you can work harder to win the next one or get the next shot in.

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

– Michael Jordan