Do you ever get that feeling like everything you work, sweat and sacrifice for, everything you dream about just seems like it’s never going to happen?
I’ve been there. I know that feeling well!
That feeling sucks! Especially when you’re doing what you need to do to get there. You wrote your goals down. You took positive action towards those goals. Maybe you even prayed a little ‘extra.’ But things just don’t seem to be going the way you expected them to! That’s the thing about hard work and big dreams. They rarely go the exact way you expect them to. It’s usually a little harder than you expect, isn’t it?!?!
The other day I was listening to my favorite podcast, ‘Serendipity’ by Inky Johnson, and I heard a quote that I’ve never heard before (I know, a quote that I’ve never heard before, crazy, right?).
He said, “Hard work pays off – we just don’t know when.”
It made me think about chasing our dreams! It took me back to when I was a teenager and all I wanted to do was ‘make it.’
My journey isn’t too uncommon. I worked my tail off trying to be the best. I wished and hoped for a smooth ride, only to be caught off guard by the countless trials, roadblocks, and setbacks along the way.
And when we come face to face with these trials, we can choose to go one of three ways:
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We start to lose interest.
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We give up all together
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Or, it spurs us on to look for solutions and opportunities, to try different strategies with more resolve and passion.
Think about this for a second. Most of the time we don’t truly know how far or close we are to our dreams becoming our reality. We can’t predict the future. And we don’t know when we will ‘breakthrough.’
It’s so important that no matter what comes your way, you continue to push forward with courage, fierce determination, and unstoppable hope. After all, your dream could be just on the other side of the adversity that you’re facing today.
Is this not a perfect illustration of what I’m talking about today? The guy on the bottom is so close to what he was working for but decides to give up. He felt like he was never going to achieve it. Can you relate?
Now, instead of the guy on the bottom realizing his dream, the man on the top will reach his dream if he sticks with it!
Never give up! You can absolutely achieve your dreams and become anything you want, as long as you’re willing to pay the price.
I want to encourage you, If you’re feeling down or discouraged, know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been there! You can’t control what happens to you, but never forget that you can always control how you respond to what happens to you.
Stick with it. Persevere! Push through! And look for ways to not only work harder, but to work smarter! Can you give more on the field? Can you have a better attitude? Are there extra drills you can do or film you can watch to give yourself an edge?
Are you training your brain? Either way, you should check out our online academy, Soccer Resilience® FC. The Soccer Resilience® FC membership is an online tool that’s been developed for individuals (coaches, athletes, parents, teachers) and groups (Clubs, Teams, Colleges + Schools) to help improve performance and build positive mental training habits. Or give us a shout to chat about other ways we can help you enhance your performance on the pitch and in all of life!
There’s always more that you can do. And as you give more, remember, HARD WORK PAYS OFF, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN!
Stay the course! You could be right there!
Optimize your mind for your Grind!
Brandt Bronico
#13 Charlotte FC
