TRY HARDER

How many times have you not given 100% effort into something so you could later blame your failure on lack of effort? This thought process features many areas of life, but has a tremendously negative effect on reaching your potential. This thought process places effort in things that you know you can win or succeed in. But in the long run, it staggers your growth and limits your potential.

BIG TALENT-LITTLE MIND

People often wonder why talented athletes never make it to the professional level. Talent is only good for giving you greater opportunities. Where you go from there is all about mind-set. This goes across the board. Ever heard someone say, "If only he could live up to his potential, he would be a start." A friend of mine calls this type of athlete, a "Million dollar body with a 10 cent mind." What is one of the most common things I hear come out of these people's mouths?

"I could do it if.."
or "I would do it if..
"WATCH YOUR "IF's"

The word "if" is a precursor to a result or an excuse. If statements are result/action based or result/excuse based. People who have a hard time reaching their potential live on result/excuse "if" statements. People who reach their potential live and apply result/action "if" statements.

Example of a result/excuse if statement: "I would practice harder if my coach would play me more.

"Example of a result/action if statement: "My coach would play me more if I practiced harder."

The difference in the "if" statements is a matter of personal responsibility. In the first statement, you are blaming your circumstances for the outcome. You are submitting complete control to your circumstances. In the second statement you are taking personal responsibility. You are saying, regardless of the circumstance, I can control the situation as best as I can. In any situation there are only two things you can control: How hard you work and your attitude.

Watch you 'if's."

THE DE-CAPACITATOR

This goes back to the initial statement of why you try to disrupt our efforts to save face. The greatest de-capacitator of success if fear. You fear your performance not being good enough, or not being accepted by others. You think your lack of effort will protect you from judgment or criticism of others. After all, if you don't give it your all, you can always say "If I really wanted to try.." right? You believe people will blame your failure on your effort, not on your talent. This mind-set fools you into mediocrity.

BREAK THROUGH

This mind set causes you to not push yourself farther because if you fail you will be seen as less than you really are. I can assure you most people think this way. If you can find a person who is always pushing their potential and not care what other people think, they are special. And more than likely they are successful, and more than likely they have a lot of people who criticize them for this.

One of my favorite sayings is there are no good stories about people sitting on the bench. People who have become legendary continuously stepped out of their comfort zone and challenged the status quo. The success you experience in your life will be a direct result of A) how far you continuously stepped out of your comfort zone and B) The effort you continuously put into fighting through your comfort zones.

To move forward, break through comfort, and seek that which challenges you.

TRY HARDER TODAY

Make a choice to try harder today. Try harder in areas where you know you are challenged. Try harder in areas you know you just may fail. Try harder in places you may get criticized and judged. Try harder because it's the only way to get farther. Here are 5 ways to start trying harder and moving farther.

1. LOSE THE DEADBEATS: I often tell my young athletes, "Be the right example and you won't have to worry about having friends who bring you down." The truth of the matter is, the higher you want to go, the better people you need to surround yourself with. If you currently have friends or other people in your life who bring you down, stop spending so much time with them. You don't have to cut them out of your life, just choose wisely the amount of time you spend with them. Here is a fact: You cannot go much farther than the people you the constantly surround yourself with. Why? Because the people you spend the most time with determine much of what you think and much of what you think about yourself. Put great people around you if you want to be great.

2. PICK SOMETHING TO GO ALL OUT IN: Think of something that you haven't been giving your all in because you are afraid of failing. Take this thing whether it is practice or a project and go at it like no one is judging you. No matter if you fail or succeed, you will either learn from the experience and become better in the failure and/or celebrate in the success.

3. CHANGE YOUR "IF" STATEMENTS: If you find yourself saying, "if" and it is followed by an excuse, immediately change it to a positive statement: Example: If you say, "I would practice harder if I was playing more." Change the statement to, "If I practice harder, I will play more." Try reversing you "if's" and see just how much farther it will take you. Instead of excuse based "if" statements, turn them into action based "if" statements. This places responsibility on your shoulders not your circumstances.

4. START THINKING GREAT: No matter your talent, true greatness is only achievable through your thinking. Why? Because everything begins with a thought. Thoughts lead to feelings, feelings lead to actions. It does not work in any other way. You must think great before you manifest that into reality, act great, and produce great things in your life.

5. DO SOMETHING THAT SCARES THE HECK OUT OF YOU: To reach your potential you must get out of your comfort zone. Think of something that you have been putting off because it scares the heck out of you. Go at it with ruthless abandonment. You will more than likely find the fears that you associated with it as only something you conjured up in your mind to talk you out of doing it. As you begin to take on more and more of these actions, you will develop more and more confidence. This confidence will help you tackle even greater obstacles.

Too many people sit around and wait to have something great happen to them. Be one of those who actually make something great happen to them. Try harder.