Back to: The Elev8 Culture Code
Pillar: Belief — The foundation of who we are
We need to believe in ourselves, our program, our team, and our coaches.
Belief is the foundation of who we are as individuals. Without it, we have no identity. It is said that extraordinary people live their lives backwards. They create a future, and then they make it a reality.
One way to create belief in ourselves is to accomplish goals we have set. The act of achieving these goals, even simply getting closer to them, has been proven by science to provide us with increased confidence, joy, and self-esteem.
The more we witness ourselves following through, keeping promises we have made, and working hard to become better, the more belief we will have in what we're capable of doing.
An exercise for setting goals is called "A.C.T."
The "A" stands for accepting your present state. This means understanding your strengths and weaknesses.
"C" stands for creating your desired state. Close your eyes and see yourself exactly the way you want to be.
"T" stands for taking action steps to get you there. Success is a journey of one step at a time. And the longest journey begins with the first step.
First, believe in the power of your dream, then A.C.T. Accept your present state. Create your desired state. Take action through goal setting.
It takes a lot of practice to get good at setting and achieving goals, so don't expect yourself to be perfect right off the bat. If you don't succeed the first time, take steps to improve moving forward.
Was the goal too difficult? Did it require things you didn't have access to? Did you set it for too long of a period of time and lose interest?
Make your goals achievable, short-term, and very specific. These are called SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Often, it's the times when we don't feel good or when something is bothering us that goals become harder to finish. Ironically, this is exactly when we need to pursue our goals the most! Our mental health improves when we're being productive and working toward meaningful progress.
Even if you're not feeling up to it, try to do at least one thing, even if it's small, to get closer to one of your life goals every day.
One of the best goals our players can have to get them closer to athletic achievement, is to do the 50-50-50 exercise every day. 50 pushups, 50 sit-ups, 50 squats.
If you can't do them all at once, break them up into chunks throughout the day. Every time you complete the challenge, you'll be a better athlete than you were before, and you'll feel better about yourself for having done it!
Reflect
- How does goals show up in your game right now?
- What is one thing you will do this week to live it?