Decade in Review

On my drive into work today, I thought about the importance of paying attention to where I’m going. I’m sure it’s the same for you – driving has become automatic, I rarely give it much thought. But today, I thought about how I see where I’m going through my front windshield, but also how I use my peripheral vision with my side and rearview mirrors to guide me. 

While driving, and in life, it’s critical to pay attention to our surroundings as we are on our journey towards a destination. As we’re coming upon a new year and a new decade, many thoughts about the past decade came into my mind during my morning commute – a job that I’ve been working so hard for all of my life. It made me extremely grateful for what I have as I began reflecting on where I’ve been these past 10 years.

As a way to encourage you to reflect on your past decade, I wanted to share with you some of my reflections. I believe that in order to make even bigger moves and have even more success in the future, we must reflect on our past to learn and grow from it. And I want to encourage you to really sit down and give this some thought because I also think once you’ve reflected and taken the lessons, you’re done looking back and it’s only forward from here. Make this time of reflection count because it’ll be the last time you dwell on it – it’s all forward progress and motion on out!

Ten years ago, I was working towards the peak of the strength and conditioning profession. I was surrounded by some of the best leaders and people one could imagine. We were developing some of the best young men and women while focusing on academic integrity, social responsibility, and competitive excellence. Working with football, this time of year always brought about expectations of winning bowl games, and with those expectations came a unique energy, excitement and even uncertainty.

As I worked to perfect my craft in the weight room I also was focused on growing professionally and exploring the athletic administration. At Mizzou I’m proud to say we had a strong culture of continuing education and learning and teaching, of which I took full advantage. That is part of what has afforded me the opportunity to advance to where I am now, on my way to my job which stemmed this whole reflection this morning.

This time of year provided many opportunities for get-togethers and celebrations with family, friends, and co-workers (if they’re not already your friends or family). Thanksgiving was just two short weeks ago and the holiday season is already upon us. As I get this time with those around me, I’m more encouraged now than ever because I know the value of family and relationships. Time is a precious commodity that we should not waste. The past 10 years have gone by in what seems like the blink of an eye and I have grown immeasurably through all of my experiences.

What I get excited about now is sharing those experiences and what I’ve learned from them. We cannot control a lot of variables in life but we can control how we choose to respond. What I am continuing to learn is how to stay focused on the prize and not worry about what others think, especially when they don’t really know me. I will continue to be the best version of myself and help as many people along the way as I can. My hope is that I can inspire you to do the same. I’m looking forward to the next decade and the opportunity to continue doing great things.