July 17, 2008
Enjoying the Process
By Chad Durbin, Showcase U Co-founder
When I think about the schedules and timeframes for any athletic sport’s season, mine being baseball, I think about a process set in place. A manager of mine in Cleveland while I was a part of the major league club in 2003-2004, Eric Wedge, had a saying in which he believed. “Stick to the process.” Thinking on what he meant and how his leadership set the tone for an entire organization has stuck in mind through the past years since leaving the Cleveland Indians organization. Sticking to the process involves knowing what works, establishing a plan of action, AND…sticking to the process.
Having applied that work ethic mantra to my own life inside and outside of baseball has built a strong level of confidence in my preparation. There is no feeling worse than feeling ill prepared when on a competitive stage of any kind. There has been a change; maybe it was inevitable, in my process. “Sticking to the process,” has changed to “Enjoying the process.” I truly look forward to the preparation. I encourage any young athlete or student to put a plan of action in place, see what needs to be done, and step by step…start the process. Enjoy the difficulty in growing into a more polished, all-around individual through understanding of what needs to be done and doing it. Remember, this applies to anything from mowing the lawn and doing homework to running sprints and working on mechanics. Being a PRO-ACTIVE person starts by taking that first step.
I hope that some of my experience can help give students and/or athletes a head start on creating their own “edge.” Isn’t that what we’re all looking for, a competitive edge? Create your own…OWN the process.