Worried You Aren't Good Enough?

Worried You Aren’t Good Enough?

You're too small, too slow, not skilled. Tell that to Jose Altuve who was told he was too small and would never make it. They were wrong about the 2017 American League MVP and World Champion and they're wrong about you.

Even the most confident player at some point has harbored some doubt about her abilities. In my line of work, I’ve been blessed to work with some of the best players in the world from Gold Medal Softball Players to Major League Baseball All-Stars. One thing that has always struck me about these individuals is the confidence they appear to exude. However, a deeper dive would tell a different story. It hasn’t always been easy, nor is it always as easy as it looks.

Softball or Baseball are equally challenging sports. Hitting a round object traveling at speeds requiring accurate and timely decisions to be made with a cylinder-shaped object in fractions of seconds is perhaps the most challenging skill to develop. However, the game also requires skills such as throwing, running, fielding. Add to it more specialized skills such as pitching, catching, and various requirements for each infielder and outfielder – we quickly learn that the game is multi-faceted and difficult to master.

I present all of this to simply drive home the point that this game is hard. It’s going to challenge you with failure and poor performances. The goal is not to master the game, as you won’t. But the goal should be to try to be consistent. Work toward being consistently better. Improve daily through skill development.

That’s the advice I’ve learned through players who have advanced to the top. The game is no easier for those players than it is for the average player. It’s often said, “They make it look easy.” Making it look easy, in part, is due to how you carry yourself. If you exude confidence, even if underneath that persona lives some doubt, you’ll begin to make things look easier.

Stop comparing yourself to the best players in your game and start being the best version of YOU. Demonstrate more confidence. Work Harder. Prepare Better. Start feeling like You’re Good Enough!