095 - the moment it all begins...

Youth Development

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Start Again. That's what Richie McCaw would write on his wrist for every game

He'd view this game as a fresh slate. A brand new opportunity. Whatever happened last game, good or bad, didn't matter... the only thing that mattered was the game ahead of him and how he performed

It's a cliche, but every single day brings with it a seed of opportunity. We're not what happened yesterday and we have no real control over what happens tomorrow... what we can control, however, are the choices and decisions we make today in regards to moving us closer towards our goals

And that's the moment it all begins - the second your eyes open in the morning

It sets the tone for the day... are you grateful to wake up and have another day, another chance to go after what you love; or are you miserable and upset for what lies ahead?

When it comes to your decisions, do you have them planned out, knowing what you need to do that day in order to tick the box and move the needle one inch closer to where it needs to go, or do you float around aimlessly and feel like you're continually spinning your wheels?

Competence breeds confidence, and it's this competence you need to build with yourself

The first step is identifying what we want right now, over this shorter term (it should align with and be the first pit-stop on your way to what you desire long-term) - and if you don't know it, then figure it out ASAP

Then, we look at our day and all the key decisions we will have to make in order to give us the best chance of getting there - this is where your confidence in yourself will be cultivated

Do we want to get an A in English or a specific ATAR for ourselves? Brilliant, we're going to need to limit distractions when we're working (i.e. phone and social media off), we're going to need to make sacrifices to do the work over some social outings, show time management to also factor in work and sport, and show the discipline to study and work when it's the last thing we want to do. We also need to factor in sleep and how we look after ourselves, as if we're not doing that, we're not going to be performing optimally

For the kid wanting to make the rep squad, local team, or higher, it's setting the same intention and asking that same questions of "how can I do everything in my power today, so that I can rest my head tonight and go to sleep contempt"... how can I ensure I make great decisions with my nutrition whilst at school, did I give everything I had today at training, am I staying on top of my school work and relationships...

It all begins the moment you wake up, setting your intention for that single day, and then making sure your thoughts and actions align with that intention

Do that, and when the time comes you'll be able to relax & focus on performing, as you'll know you've done everything you could have. That's competence. That's confidence. Anything less, and you'll be filled with doubt and worry, and that's not a place we want to be for optimal performance at anything...

Actionable Tips + Questions:

• What's your short-term experience/intention, and does it align with your longer-term one?
• What's your intention for specific days? What's the one thing you aim to accomplish that will move you closer?
• What are the key points/times of your day, and what are the decisions you'll have to make?
• What are the distractions you'll have to face, and how can you overcome these when they pop up?