Lots of extremely talented ball players make it to the big leagues. There are also many ball players that do not have the same talent that make it to the big leagues as well. It amazes me to see which players make it and which ones fall short. The ones who crack the big league line up all have one thing in common: discipline.
Discipline is a form of self-control. It is the ability to hone in on what you must do and execute the actions in order to succeed. The less talented players who make the big league demonstrate discipline by diving deep on what their long-term goals are. They can see the vision of putting on the jersey for the New York Yankees or the Arizona Diamondbacks and will do everything in their power to get there.
It is one thing to have the long-term vision, but it is a completely different story when it comes to the path you choose to reach your goal. The decisions you make will determine where you end up in the future. The main reason many talented athletes do not reach the big league level is that they do not make the right decisions today to set them up for success in the future. Maybe it is through choosing to skip a workout that day because they are too tired or maybe they would rather hang out on the golf course instead of training. It simply comes down to the decisions you make on a daily basis.
Most players know what they must do in order to get them to the next level in their career, but how many of them actually follow through? It is up to the player to take action to propel themselves forward in their career. This is where their discipline kicks in. These actions could consist of extra ground balls, focusing on more quality reps in the cage, hitting the weight room, taking care of your body through foam rolling, eating nutritious foods, and so much more.
How do you gain the discipline to move in the right direction of your career? Here are three things to consider:
Awareness of your decisions
First of all, you must be aware of the decisions you are making. This could be discovered by asking yourself one questions: “Is this decision going to pull me closer to my goal?” If your answer is yes, then do it. If your answer is no, then make a different decision. For example, if you have the choice between getting an extra cage session in or playing Fortnite, you know the answer, but for many players it is hard to follow through. Keeping your goal of becoming a big leaguer in mind helps you to put down the controller and head down to the cage.
Taking action regardless of how you feel
This is the biggest key to discipline. Many players are all about instant gratification or getting what they want right now. We must adopt new norms and understand that we must get uncomfortable to get what we desire. You may not enjoy pushing yourself to your limits, but that’s what it takes to get there. Keep that big picture in mind and you will have a much easier time doing what it takes.
Reflecting on your decisions
Reflection is another important factor. If we do not reflect, we normally end up making the same poor decisions over and over again. You can ask yourself the same question as when you are gaining awareness of your decisions: “Did that decision pull me closer to my goal?” If your answer is yes, then you made the right decision and you can continue to make that same decision. If your answer is no, we must make a better decision when faced with the same situation again.
Discipline is extremely important to becoming successful. So many athletes have untapped potential and all they need is this key ingredient to reach their goal. Continue to take consistent and massive action toward your goal as your future self will thank you.
