Pro Season
Picture this…
You are a good ‘amateur’
You get by on talent alone
Never quite having to push hard enough
Because you have talent
It is enough to get you through
We all know these people
The colleague that has more to offer
The student that is full of potential
The athlete that could be so much more if they were just a little bit less lazy, or more motivated, more
disciplined
My questions to them would be…
Is that your peak? Are you happy at this level?
Can you accept it, or is it time for your ‘pro season’?
Steven Pressfield talks about it in his book ‘The War on Art’
Where he discusses the importance of ‘turning professional’ if you work (specifically in the creative
industry)
As an artist, you cannot wait for inspiration
As a writer, you cannot wait to hit a flow state
As a marketer, you cannot wait for a bright idea
As a sports person, you cannot wait for the big break
As a budding entrepreneur, you cannot wait for the perfect time
You must seek it out
You must sit down at your desk, every day, and work - you must create the flow state
Pressfield says;
"I write only when inspiration strikes" he replied. "Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o'clock
sharp."
He then goes on to say;
“What happens when we turn pro is, we finally listen to that still, small voice inside our heads. At last we
find the courage to identify the secret dream or love or bliss that we have known all along was our passion,
our calling, our destiny.”
There are plenty of examples of people that have embraced the ‘pro season’
And as a result, have found the next level
Have found ‘form’ that lasts for decades, not just one season
LeBron James - 21 professional seasons in the NBA, so long he now plays alongside his son
Cristiano Ronaldo - started playing professional football in 2002, he is still playing professionally and for
his country 23 years later
Warren Buffet - has just stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway after 60 years. 60 years as one of
the world's leading investment firms
Cameron Hanes - a more obscure one, a bow hunter from Oregon, has had 20 successful hunting
seasons over 20 years, hunting in the mountains with a bow, where the success rate is usually 10%. He
started running ultra marathons to improve his bow hunting fitness…
Dave Brailsford - the man that masterminded the British Olympic cycling evolution. Helping them win 66
Olympic and Paralympic medals between 2007 and 2017. He did this with his 1% or incremental gains
approach
What does turning pro mean to me?
Doing the right thing at the right time, to give momentum to future success
It’s the 1%ers that Brailsford talks about;
1% better sleep
1% better eating in a day
1% improvement on how you show up to work
You can find these percentages everywhere
All these percentage points add up
But, for me, it is more than that, living and working overseas, we all have an opportunity to ‘turn pro’ and
to set ourselves up well for the future
Save well
Plan properly
Invest smartly
Live well
Give yourself a lifetime of seasons at the top of your game, living the way you want
Thanks to the decisions you make now
And, you will look back on your time overseas, or you will look back on the period where you turned pro
and thank yourself
Plus, drop me a note back if you want a chat on property
And how we can help you go pro
Think a friend would like this? Forward it their way.
Have a great weekend ahead,
Callum