Real growth is appreciating today’s reps while already plotting tomorrow’s PR. Gratitude doesn’t pause ambition; it fuels it.

In sports, there is an end goal… A ring. A title. An award. Life is a continuous effort to hit endless goals. To win as an athlete we need to celebrate every goal we hit like we won the championship. Cause that’s how we are wired. That’s how we keep going.

Something athletes never realize they give up after they leave their sport is they stop learning. Everyday we used to practice to learn how to get better. But we get to the real world and just work to complete a task. Continue learning cause that is the athlete way.

Positive self talk is critical to success in sports. Yet we let the world tell us how to think once sports are over, Then we wonder why we lose who we are. Self talk is what develops who we are to ourselves. Talk to yourself like you’re a champion in life.

No motivation? Borrow structure. Wake time, movement, one hard thing before noon. Motivation chases structure.

My volleyball career was over but I kept score on myself: I scored sleep, focus blocks, my own personal development. The game didn’t end. It just switched arenas. I train, I practice, I iterate, I grow towards the ‘championship’ I have in my sights.

I still don’t think I’m doing enough even after sports. I push myself but it’s not enough. Is that bad being unsatisfied? Or is it the only reason we grow? Dissatisfaction.

As in sports, consistency is everything. Show up everyday for yourself. Have a goal. Work towards it. Reflect on past actions. Work to get better for tomorrow. Live like an athlete to win like an athlete.

Sports being your identity isn’t the problem. It’s the inability to pivot that identity towards using sports to better your life. That’s the hard part.

Never stop living like an athlete.

A principle of volleyball was to always be bettering the ball. But athletes won't continue to better "the ball" outside the game. "The ball" of our health, wealth, connections etc. Athletes are built to grow. Commit to growth in life and everything will align.

In sports, winning looks the same across the board. Most points, fastest time, highest team score… But in life, winning isn’t the same. We need to find what winning is individually. When you know what winning looks like to you, it becomes a game to win just like sports.

The greatest advantage you can have in life: Being an athlete.

The only thing that matters in sports and in life is consistency.

Transfer your sports confidence into real world confidence. Not based on your skills in your sport… But based on your ability to persevere, be consistent, and grow through challenges.

If your sports career came to an end, it doesn’t mean your sports life comes to an end. Being an athlete isn't a job, it is a new way of life. Pivot from being an athlete towards your sports and be an athlete towards your life. That is how we as win. And we can win BIG.

The biggest loss in sports is losing the brotherhood. It’s not the games, it’s not the status, it’s not the titles. It’s the people you went to war with. Finding a new community and a new band of teammates for life is crucial to our success as former athletes.

Personal development for athletes: - Build towards a goal everyday - Challenge yourself - Find other athletes to bond with - Learn how to continue to get better Personal development literally changed my life and it can change yours.

You like winning cause you think you want it. I love winning cause I know I need it.