I am a big fan of the motivational speaker Eric Thomas. If you don’t know who he is you need to look him up and watch some of his videos.
There are a few of his videos I show every team. The first is his video on “How bad do you want it” If you haven’t seen it I will strongly recommend that you do before you read any further.
Since you are still reading I hope that you have watched his video. The message is great, when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breath you will be successful. It is a great motivational video.
When we watch the video in the group the majority of the students are pumped up and excited to practice, for at least a day or two. It is easy to see the students that understood the message in the video. After the excitement and the message has worn off the practice energy level and intensity levels begin to fall off for most students. It is easy to be motivated or excited for a practice or two, anyone can do that. Those college contestants who are still competing in June have found a way to motivate themselves every day regardless of their daily distractions.
From experience I would say that there is a big majority of the contestants that are motivated easily for a day or two. Usually they somehow find that motivation the day’s right before the rodeo. These are the guys that entered and think that they can be competitive with just a day or two of practice. This is the group doing CPR on their goals. There is not really any other way to describe it. It may work to save you to fight another day, but then again it might not. A chance a lot are willing to take.
The message of the video was “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe you will be successful.” Breathing is simple, a little thing you do every day. Working towards your goals can be just as easy, just a little effort every day. It will keep you alive, a little effort can keep your goals alive as well.
Being successful in the arena, in the classroom and in life is just like breathing. Whatever you want to be successful at you will find a way to do every day. You breathe every minute of every day, it keeps you alive. You can’t breathe part time and have it work out well, unless you know people good at CPR.
Truly having goals doesn’t allow for taking a week off then working for two days before you compete or studying for two hours before a test. This may work in the short term, but your long term success will be very limited.
The successful athletes, students, and people of this world are not motivated on a part time basis, they are motivated daily. The top rodeo contestants don’t have their parents, coaches or friends asking them to go to practice, get an extra work out in, and exercise their horses. Their effort to be successful has become just as routine as breathing.
Success is much like breathing. If you keep breathing, you stay alive. If you want to keep your goals alive and growing you find a way to work towards them on a daily basis. It’s that simple.
_________________________________
C.J. Aragon was named the 2008-2011 Grand Canyon Region Coach-of-the-Year. 2014-2015 WJCAC Coach-of-the-Year, 2016 Southwest Region Coach-of-the-Year, and 2010 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Coach-of-the-Year.
