Every 24hrs = A New Opportunity

Every day is a new opportunity to try again. That’s the approach I try and take, especially when I’m away and things may not be going as well as I would like. But I really try and use that line to focus on what needs to be done to get through the day with a level of productivity that I can be somewhat satisfied with. 

After a loss, I look at the next day as a chance to recover and reflect on the things that went wrong, and then to hype myself up to be better for the next time. Starting with the next practice of course. But I also take this approach after a win. Thinking about what I can do better, the shots I missed, the plays I could have made better, how I could contributed more on the defensive end, box outs, rebounds, you name it I think about it. These thoughts haunt me actually. I go into practice with this mental list of things I personally can do to be better, and then what we can do as a team to get better. And if I am being honest, if we never get to these things on my mental list during any of the practices before a game, my level of frustration rises. But I can only control my own actions, so I do what I can, as well as try and put a bug in the ear of coach if it truly is killing me. 

This approach really goes into anything I get my hands on and in my daily routine. If you know me you already know I make my lists. Beginning each day with a list of about 10 things I would like to accomplish. Then I try and knock each thing out 1 by 1, and for the things I don’t get to, for whatever reason… I add them to the list for the next day because it’ll be a new opportunity to try it again. 

So for the times I am frustrated about the struggles of today, when my eyes open the next morning and I am fortunate to be able to give things another go, I try and take advantage of that 24hrs. I try and do things differently than the day before, I pick myself up, muster up the strength and the courage (because it does get tiring, it does get annoying when it feels like things aren’t coming together), and I take advantage of my new opportunity to try it again. 

This season I do not get the Christmas break I am use to. Where you get to go home at the midway point in the season and you get a much needed, refreshing, break by just being in a familiar place around family and friends. In some ways I have planned for this, but I am realizing more and more how creative I need to be in order to get these little mental breaks wherever I can fit them in. I know people around me might not under it, but at the end of the day I have to do what’s best for me so that I keep my sanity and keep moving forward! 

With that being said… let’s check in on my December “To Do” List

Top 10 Things To Accomplish In December

1.) Go 2 weeks with NO MEAT (I have gone 6 days in Dec without meat, these days are NOT consecutive)

2.) Finish reading The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*%$(Only on page 36 out of 200 right now)

3.) Listen to 10 new podcast episodes (2 Down)

4.)Send at least 15 networking emails(4 Down)

5.) Record 4 Podcast episodes(Recording 1 tomorrow with a very special guest!)

6.) Write at least 4 blog posts (This will be #2)

7.) Go at least 7 days with NO SOCIAL MEDIA (3 days at this point, felt so refreshing)

8.) Explore a different part of the city(I just need to get in the car and drive)

9.) Find a new pair of basketball shoes(KDs? PGs? Kyries? Kobes?)

10.)              Get everyone’s Christmas gifts sent to the house (I need to get on that)

Time to get to some more things on my list and to get my mind right as I prepare to get after it tomorrow with 2 opportunities in the gym!

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." - Henry Ford