BCG Blog

Going For It

Have you ever watched America’s Got Talent, or any of those audition type shows, and a performer comes on that seems somewhat shy or bashful, then puts on an amazing performance? One that you can’t stop watching and gives you chills?

You know what that is?

It’s your conscience telling you to go for it!

Maybe it’s not singing or playing the piano or doing a magic trick, but it’s something. There’s some area of your life that you know you aren’t taking the risks you need to take in order to reach the level you aspire to reach.

The question is, why not?

Why Should We Care?
Does it really matter what you want to do in life if you never go for it?

Does it really matter what you believe if you never act on it?

Courage is the separator. It’s not knowledge or talent that sets people apart. It’s their willingness to go for it when success isn’t imminent. Courage is the willingness to choose failure because the courageous know failure is on the path to excellence.

But, this isn’t how society tells us to operate - another reason we find it appealing … because it’s different. No, society says be perfect. Post the perfect picture of the perfect meal, record the perfect dance in the perfect outfit. It’s all so fake … and untrue. These norms push people away from daring and into a cautious mindset centered on what others think. Which is the key roadblock to the courage it takes to go for it.

REAL TALK - Action Steps
What does going for it really entail? Well, there is far more than this to it, but here are a few ideas to get you started down that road of helping those you lead cut loose.
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• Encourage Dreams 
  • I had a parent tell me at basketball camp one year that his son told him he wanted to play in the NBA. I told him that was awesome. The dad laughed and said don’t worry, we told him to pick a more realistic dream. What?! Stop telling those you lead, or parent, they can’t be or do whatever they aspire to. That’s not your decision. It’s there’s and they’ll pick it with their actions over the next several years of their life. Help them understand what the dream will take, but never even hint that their dream is too big.
• Choose the Process
  • Dreams don’t just happen. They’re the result of intentional, focused effort towards a specific means. When you think you’re committing to a dream, you’re really committing to the process necessary to make that dream a reality. You can’t have one without the other.
• Choose the Sacrifice
  • What are you willing to suffer for is the real question. It doesn’t matter what you want. The only thing that matters is what you are willing to suffer for. When you decide to go for it, the suffering becomes an accepted casualty of that decision. One you no longer even measure. It just is what it is - part of the process.

Truly all in is such a cool thing to watch. Every ounce of focus and effort committed to one single act in the hopes, not facts, that it will be enough. It’s a scenario I get to see played out often as a coach. How lucky am I?!

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