I played football in high school.
I enjoyed it. I was able to start my junior and senior years as a free safety. I was pretty good, and even got offers to play at a few division three colleges. I graduated high school feeling content and happy with what I had accomplished. You probably would have too.
But when I look back on playing high school football today, I am filled with regret.
What caused my outlook to change so dramatically?
I enjoyed it. I was able to start my junior and senior years as a free safety. I was pretty good, and even got offers to play at a few division three colleges. I graduated high school feeling content and happy with what I had accomplished. You probably would have too.
But when I look back on playing high school football today, I am filled with regret.
What caused my outlook to change so dramatically?
How could I go from being completely satisfied
to utterly disappointed?
Well...after much thought, I have found the answer.
Although I was a pretty good player, I could have been much better. In fact, it was my natural athletic ability that prevented me from working harder to become better. I was athletic enough to get by with about 80% of my full effort. Because of this, I chose to slack off and stay where I was rather than work harder and improve. Take team sprints for example. I would be sure to finish in the top-10 every time, but I wouldn’t run hard enough to really challenge myself and strengthen my endurance. My 80% was enough to get by without getting in trouble, so I never capitalized on my potential. The realization of this sad fact is what has led to my regret.
I was not a good steward of the physical ability God had given me. I took what could have been used for greatness and settled for mediocrity. This fact repulses me to this day.
It was so easy for me to justify my lack of 100% effort. I would tell myself, “You’re doing enough to get by. You’re a starter, why work harder for something you already have?”
Now, I look back on these thoughts and am truly disappointed with myself.
What if I had given a 100% effort? Maybe we would have won more games, gone to the playoffs, been a team to remember; or maybe nothing would have changed at all. But either way, I will never know. All I know now is that when I think back on my high school football career I can only sadly wonder what could have been.
Fortunately, these sorrowful thoughts on my high school football career did not end in themselves. They resulted in a God-given birth to a new idea! I began to ask myself, “What things am I not putting a 100% effort into right now that I will regret in the future? How can I take my disappointing lesson from football and positively apply it to my life today?”
These thoughts led me to evaluate what in my life I was holding back on, what I was putting off, and how I could change my habits to better reflect the ways I truly desired to spend my time.
I had always wanted to start a blog, but put it off because of more pressing priorities. After my life evaluation though, I decided it was now or never. If I kept putting it off I knew I would look back years from now and find yet another disappointment in my life. So here it is! My blog has arrived!
Will it be good? Maybe...
Will it help people? I hope...
Will I have put forth an effort that I can look back on one day with joy? Oh yes!
So my question for everyone now is this:
What are you putting off now that you truly want to pursue?
Is it a hobby?
Is it a friendship?
Is it a new habit or the breaking of an old one?
Whatever it may be, STOP putting it off. Evaluate your life and the time you spend. Invest yourself in what is truly valuable. Be a steward of the gifts, talents, dreams, and abilities God has given you. Don’t just do enough to get by. Don’t be mediocre. Don’t waste your life and time on things that that have no real significance.
These thoughts led me to start this blog, I hope and pray they can help you as well.
Well...after much thought, I have found the answer.
Although I was a pretty good player, I could have been much better. In fact, it was my natural athletic ability that prevented me from working harder to become better. I was athletic enough to get by with about 80% of my full effort. Because of this, I chose to slack off and stay where I was rather than work harder and improve. Take team sprints for example. I would be sure to finish in the top-10 every time, but I wouldn’t run hard enough to really challenge myself and strengthen my endurance. My 80% was enough to get by without getting in trouble, so I never capitalized on my potential. The realization of this sad fact is what has led to my regret.
I was not a good steward of the physical ability God had given me. I took what could have been used for greatness and settled for mediocrity. This fact repulses me to this day.
It was so easy for me to justify my lack of 100% effort. I would tell myself, “You’re doing enough to get by. You’re a starter, why work harder for something you already have?”
Now, I look back on these thoughts and am truly disappointed with myself.
What if I had given a 100% effort? Maybe we would have won more games, gone to the playoffs, been a team to remember; or maybe nothing would have changed at all. But either way, I will never know. All I know now is that when I think back on my high school football career I can only sadly wonder what could have been.
Fortunately, these sorrowful thoughts on my high school football career did not end in themselves. They resulted in a God-given birth to a new idea! I began to ask myself, “What things am I not putting a 100% effort into right now that I will regret in the future? How can I take my disappointing lesson from football and positively apply it to my life today?”
These thoughts led me to evaluate what in my life I was holding back on, what I was putting off, and how I could change my habits to better reflect the ways I truly desired to spend my time.
I had always wanted to start a blog, but put it off because of more pressing priorities. After my life evaluation though, I decided it was now or never. If I kept putting it off I knew I would look back years from now and find yet another disappointment in my life. So here it is! My blog has arrived!
Will it be good? Maybe...
Will it help people? I hope...
Will I have put forth an effort that I can look back on one day with joy? Oh yes!
So my question for everyone now is this:
What are you putting off now that you truly want to pursue?
Is it a hobby?
Is it a friendship?
Is it a new habit or the breaking of an old one?
Whatever it may be, STOP putting it off. Evaluate your life and the time you spend. Invest yourself in what is truly valuable. Be a steward of the gifts, talents, dreams, and abilities God has given you. Don’t just do enough to get by. Don’t be mediocre. Don’t waste your life and time on things that that have no real significance.
These thoughts led me to start this blog, I hope and pray they can help you as well.
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