I’m Busy: Don’t Be Busy, Be Productive!

I’m Busy: Don’t Be Busy, Be Productive!

“You did not wake up today to be mediocre.”

Busy. A common word we use as an excuse when we don’t want to do something. A word that is severely misused and misunderstood. If you look up the definition of busy, you will find: “occupied with or concentrating on a particular activity or object of attention” or “full of activity” with synonyms ranging from active, hectic, lively, and strenuous. So why is it when we use the word busy, we aren’t ACTUALLY busy? Busy is a cover word-a word that is empty when we need an excuse to not do something that we should or need to be doing. But WHY do we lack that motivation and determination to put the work in? Why is it so hard to be productive? Why do we wish for things instead of working for them? It’s sad that life is so full of incredible opportunities, yet we let our excuses get in the way of grabbing onto them.

Are your athletes falling into the pile of excuses? Are they lacking motivation and determination? Do they understand that wishing for something doesn’t make it happen? Do they know what they need and should be doing to be the best they can be?

Are you being an accessory to their laziness, or are you fueling the fire that will keep them motivated and determined to work hard and be productive every single day? Are you being a role model that influences their motivation to grab onto opportunities, to go out on their own and practice, and to WORK for their potential?

Whether we are a coach, parent, teacher, role model, or instructor, I don’t think we realize how much our athletes watch, observe, follow, mimic, and do the things that we say, do, and act. They follow in our footsteps, and it is up to us to make sure those footsteps aren’t hindering their abilities, negatively affecting their actions, and creating barriers and challenges that are unnecessary.

Sometimes we need to take a step back and reevaluate ourselves to understand why our athletes are doing, saying, and acting in ways we don’t approve of, understand, or worry about. We have to take responsibility for our actions and our words and instead of blaming our athletes for being lazy and making excuses, maybe that behavior is stemming back to their coach, teacher, instructor, parent, and/or role model.

We are much more of an influence than we realize, so take a step back and make sure you are striving towards the best version of yourself, so your athlete strives towards their best self.

“Never let someone out work you or out hustle you. Ever.”

Written by Nikoli Sharp