Today we welcome Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer to The Dolce Diet family of bloggers! His motivational insight and unique experience offer a valuable look into how we can best achieve our goals! Read on, readers!
How to Stick to Your Goals
by Brandon Guyer
June 7th, 2007.
I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was a junior at the University of Virginia and it was the day of the MLB draft. Up until a week ago I was sure a major league baseball team would want me. I had put in years of hard work and sacrifice to ensure I had a future in this sport, but one week before the draft I dislocated my shoulder in the NCAA Tournament. I began to wonder if the sacrifices I made along the way would even matter. Would I still get drafted?
That’s when I got the call. The Chicago Cubs had picked me in the 5th round. To them it was about the body of work, not the unfortunate incident. I had done it. Set a goal, worked towards it, and achieved it.
I set several goals 8 years ago when I started school at UVA. They were to win a national championship, make the athletic honor roll, and get drafted. It quickly became apparent that balancing both academics and athletics while also enjoying college life would be a challenge. Something I was without a doubt up for, but at a crossroads as to how I would achieve it.
My freshman year I didn’t play up to my ability and my grades weren’t where I wanted them to be, so I decided something needed to change. Yeah, I had fun at parties and enjoyed staying out late, but was it worth it in the end? Not to me, so I made a conscious decision right then and there to sacrifice EVERYTHING in order to reach my goals. I took control of the situation. This doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun and enjoy a social life.
I just learned that it’s ok to go home early and not always have a drink. As my college coach always said “nothing good happens after midnight.”
Have you ever heard someone say you are who you surround yourself with? I chose to be around hard working, nose-to-the-grind kind of people so I could get the best out of myself. Since we all had similar goals and aspirations it made life that much easier. Every sacrifice that I used to consider tough, now seemed simple because I had the support of my closest friends.
Years down the road I knew that all the missed parties or nights not drinking would pay off. I knew being first to the field and last to leave would pay off. Making the honor roll and being drafted by the Chicago Cubs only reaffirmed that. To this day I can still look in the mirror and know that I did EVERYTHING I possibly could to achieve my goals. Can you say the same?
About the Author
Yeah, I can hit a baseball, and yeah I did hit a home run in my very first major league at bat. May 6th 2011 was the best night of my career. May 7th was a whole different story. The dream of being a big leaguer ended before my ball was even caught in the left field stands… I was sent back to the minor leagues! Six years ago I was drafted by the Chicago Cubs out of the University of Virginia. I’ve been up and down with the Tampa Bay Rays the last three years…I plan on sticking next season. I’ve been through it all injuries, promotions, demotions, playoffs, all star games, etc. The one constant in my life, other than my sportscaster wife, has been a healthy lifestyle. It’s not only helped my performance on the field, but also helped me cope with the emotional stress of a season. Although the life of a pro athlete may seem glamorous, at the end of the day I’m just a guy who can hit a small ball with a wooden stick. Hopefully the people who would read my blog can see that. Most importantly I have been an ONNIT Honor Roll member for the past year and I’m a huge supporter of the Dolce lifestyle!