Often times we know what we need to do, we just don’t do it.  Why is that?  We procrastinate, put it off until later, take the easy way out, ignore what we really should be doing.  Maybe it’s just human nature and an ever-present instinct to resist change.  Or maybe it’s something completely different.  But that’s what I’m going to suggest here…listen to that little voice inside that wants to resist.  Allow yourself to change, to be strengthened, to be challenged to grow.  Usually you know what the right thing to do is, you just don’t do it.  Or you know what you should be doing, so “Just Do It.”  Take it one step at a time.  For example, stop before you say what you’re really thinking; pick up that last crumb instead of letting the dog lick it up (you know it’s really not good for dogs anyway!); say you’re sorry if you messed something up and that you’ll do better next time.

Then comes the hard part, actually do it better or differently next time!  Consistency is key with everything in life.  Whether you’re consistently slacking and lazy, or hard-working and dedicated – they are all self-fulfilling prophecies.  I think it was Henry Ford who said, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”  I like that.  As with most things in life, it’s also all about perspective.  What is your perspective on your own corner of the world?  How do you see things as they currently exist?  Is the glass half full or half empty?  I prefer to call myself an optimistic realist.  I prefer and usually choose to see what’s good in the world, but also realize the depths of sadness and horror to which we’re exposed.  So, let us actively choose to do what’s right, to grow together, to  hold ourselves and our peers accountable.  The world needs more personal accountability, friendship and love – in both professional as well as personal.

Anyone involved with a sports team knows what I’m talking about.  Teammates, coaches, administrators all keep themselves accountable to varying degrees.  How are you keeping your peers accountable?  Players push each other to the limits in the weight room, just a few more yards, just follow through a little bit more on your swing.  From coach to coach, talk about how that situation played out – and give some encouragement and advice on how to handle that particular player differently or what to say when your team knows what to do, but needs a bit of encouragement from someone they trust.  As an administrator, do you always have your student-athletes in mind when you make decisions?  Do you actually consider how your choices will affect the staff that work for you?  These are meant as rhetorical questions that one must answer and apply to their own situation.  No matter who you are, there is always something more to know and to learn.  Be a team.  Help someone out.  Do what’s difficult.