The Mindset of High School Athletes Who Use Time Management as an Excuse
Time management may be the biggest opportunity high school athletes have 100% under their control for self-improvement. However, if an athlete uses time as an excuse, this will remain a missed opportunity.
The prevailing mindset amongst high school athletes is that putting in time entitles them to something. The thought pattern is that if an athlete plays a sport longer or practices longer than someone else, then they have paid more dues and therefore are qualified to receive more benefits.
The problem with this thinking is that putting in time and paying dues are far from the same thing.
When an athlete focuses on putting in time this creates a mentality for mediocrity. Instead of focusing on what you do with your time and how effective and efficient you are with your time, you focus just on the time itself. Subsequently the time is the most important factor for benefits, not the work.
On the other hand, when an athlete focuses on paying their dues this creates a mentality for a meritocracy. Instead of focusing on how long something takes, the athlete focuses on getting the most out of the time regardless of how little or how long it takes. The benefits go to those who deserve it, not to those who have managed to put the most time in toiling.
Mediocre organizations may sometimes reward people for putting in time by punching a clock, but “success” does not. “Success” only rewards those who pay their dues by making good use of their time and resources.
An athlete must never have the mindset that they do not have enough time or have put in enough time. Time must never be an excuse nor the deciding factor of effectiveness. Simply stated, time management is the great equalizer of both quantity and quality of time.