Don’t sacrifice anything!
Posted on June 13, 2018 by Trevor Hale, One of Thousands of Performance Coaches on Noomii.
There is a huge difference between difficult decisions and sacrifices...Following your passion & living to your potential NEVER requires SACRIFICE!
Don’t sacrifice anything!
When I reed or listen to “Coaches, Counselors, Life Coaches, Motivational speakers, Teachers, Parents, and others” talk about going after your dreams or goals or aspirations, I often hear them talk about the need to make SACRIFICES.
WHAT!…. That’s a load of Hooey!
If you are going about chasing your dream; be it building a career (in business or sport), taking a sabbatical, retirement, or whatever, I truly believe that you MUST be doing so because you LOVE doing it (your dream) better than whatever it is you are doing right now!
If you are not THEN you risk SACRIFICING everything (health, relationships, missing out on your kids growing up, never reaching your potential, financial freedom…). The chronic consequence of these sacrifices is likely a lifetime of unhappiness—at least at some level.
For example, take a moment to imagine doing something you don’t want to be doing for the rest of your life (or imagine being with someone you don’t like being with for the rest of your life)…. really take a moment to picture and feel how this would be …. How do you feel?
When I ask this question of my clients, I first notice their faces scrunch up, and their posture becomes tense, sad, or defensive. Next, they begin to tell me this makes them feel ANXIOUS, UPSET, ANGREY, UNHAPPY, STRESSED OUT, SICK TO THE STOMACH, DEPRESSED, (and there are usually a few expletives thrown in also).
Now do the opposite: take a moment to imagine doing whatever it is you’d love to be doing for the rest of your life. Go on PICTURE THE DREAM…really picture it. Don’t get caught up in HOW it is going to happen, just see yourself having made it happen (who are you with, what are you doing, how do you feel when you wake up, when you come home, what does that life afford you???).
Now how does that make you feel? …
I bet better then the first question…
So, which one feels and looks like the SACRIFICE?
I simply don’t understand nor do I endorse the ideal that, giving nothing less than everything, in order to get to where you truly want to go in life, is in any way a SACRIFICE.
While the second scenario may require a lot of planning, commitment, goal directed behavior—maybe even some pretty radical changes in your life I don’t believe these are sacrifices. They are steps you must take (and I hope will enjoy taking) in order to achieve your potential.
To achieve this potential, you will have to focus 100% of your energy and attention—not every hour of everyday, but you will need be totally focused on the task for a given portion of each day. No multi-tasking. MULTITASKING doesn’t lead to excellence! Would you trust a Neurosurgeon to cut into your brain if you knew they were also going to be planning their summer vacation, and shopping for new eye-glasses at the same time? OF COURSE NOT! You want them to be 100% focused on the incision they are making in your brain! However, if they want to do those other tasks at other times, that’s ok…just not when they are poking around in you brain.
So, if you want to move in the direction of your life ambition Sacrifice Nothing! You may have to go through quite a bit of hardship (physical, mental, emotional, even financial), BUT enjoy the time you set for achieving your potential, and move towards it with enthusiasm, total focus, and purpose!
Dr. Trevor Hale
Doctor of Sport and Performance Psychology
