All In- Part 2

 To be all in you have to take a step back and be honest with yourself and what you want. In part 1 I related being “all in” to some of the stuff going on in my own life. In part 2 I want to shift the focus towards athletes and their training. You’ll see that these steps and guidelines can transfer to any part of life- not just the gym or the field. Anyone who has truly trained knows how training can mold a mindset like little else can. Whether you want to earn more playing time, become a starter, pack on muscle, earn a college scholarship, or just go after what you want in life- you’ll have to start by being all in towards your goals. Start with these 5 guidelines listed below.

1. Set priorities

What’s the most important to you? The next time you sit down in front of the computer/TV, ask yourself how doing so will help you attain your goals. How will playing 3 hours of Skyrim or COD every night make you a better athlete? Want to get stronger? Then make that an emphasis in your life and be sure to never miss a workout. Want to gain weight? Then wake up early, eat breakfast and plan your food that day- or plan it the night before so you never miss a meal. Going to train right after school? Then pack a snack and bring stuff for a post-workout shake that you can eat right after. If it’s important to you then you’ll find, or make, a way to get it done. If you can't find a way then remove it from your list of priorities because you obviously don't care that much about it. 

2. Be committed

Once you set your priorities, be committed to them. Don’t say you want to earn a starting spot then only give half effort for 6 months and expect to turn it on come training camp. Commitments take sacrifice. You’ll have to say no to your friends sometimes. They won’t understand why but you do so that’s good enough. I hate it when athletes miss workouts. I hate it even more when they say they’ll come in on Saturday (I have the gym open briefly on Saturdays for athletes with scheduling conflicts during the week) only to not show up. So they not only missed a workout and uncommitted to their priorities, but they also didn’t show up making them uncommitted to what they say as a man- which really gets me steamed.

3. Work for what you want

If you want anything worthwhile in life then you’ll have to work for it- and work hard. It won’t be easy and you’ll feel like quitting at times. Despite what society tells you, you don’t succeed just by participating. There are winners and losers in life. Hard (and smart) work separates them. If you want to succeed in the priorities you chosen for yourself you’ll have to work while others rest. You’ll prepare while they play. It will suck sometimes. You’ll get beat up but you’ll learn to blast through it and keep moving forward. The weights will cripple you but you know that all those squats and deadlifts were necessary to fulfill your commitments to your priorities. 

4. Handle adversity

Everyone won’t believe in you. You’ll get laughed at or people might think you’re crazy. You might have a job, expected to do well in school, help out at home, while trying to find time to destroy yourself in the gym. But you made a commitment to work hard for your priorities so you train early in the morning or late at night. You get the workouts in but also make them challenging. You plan ahead for transportation if need be. You handle whatever is thrown your way. Because of your hectic schedule you no longer have time to Facebook or watch TV...oh well, you’re stronger physically and mentally and better prepared than everyone else.

5. Don’t make excuses

You made the commitment so there’s no turning back now. Point the finger only at yourself if you fail. Then figure out a better way to get the job done. Accept responsibility for the outcome. You want to start and get more playing time but you can’t make it to your workouts or any team activities for whatever excuse. Just don’t be surprised when you’re on the bench because you couldn’t put the work in and don’t make excuses to yourself and others on why you weren’t playing. I hate excuses and lose respect quickly for people who make them. If you say you're all in don’t blow it by making excuses for yourself. If you say you’re going to get better, then put the effort in and get better. Save the excuses for the other people sitting on the sidelines- in sport and in life.

Follow these 5-steps to be ALL IN. Your training, your sport, your life. There are too many people that are so wishy-washy and not willing to commit to what they want. They accept mediocre effort from themselves which results in a mediocre life. Be ALL IN with whatever it is you wish to accomplish and get to work!

Thanks for reading!