Breaking old habits and receiving new ideas
I didn’t drink coffee for 64 years. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it – I just decided that coffee wasn’t for me. It happened part of my identity: I was someone who didn’t drink coffee. I never questioned it; It was exactly what things were.
Then one day something changed. I decided to try it. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was a challenge to enter my comfort zone, but I gave coffee a chance. And to my surprise I loved it. Now is to have a cup of coffee one of my favorite things every day. I look forward to it and I’m really happy to have broken the mold I thought I was.
But here’s a thing: it wasn’t easy to change. I had to embark on attachment to my old way of thinking – a story I talked for so long. I had to open my mind to the idea that I could enjoy something I have always released. And I found something amazing.
What does it have to do with coaching?
As coaches, many of us adhere to habits and ideas from our game days. We stick to what is known because it’s comfortable – it’s part of who we are. But just like my coffee story, sticking to old methods can mean that we are missing something better.
Your players grow up in a different era and face challenges that you have never met as a player. Dills, techniques and thinking that worked for you may not be what they need for success. By refusing adaptation you can hold them back – and yourself.
This is your opportunity to try something new. Initially, this could feel uncomfortable. You could resist the idea of letting out of what you know. But as I discovered coffee, getting out of your comfort can lead to something better – something you didn’t even know you were missing.
Therefore, I call you to break the mold of the one you think you are a coach. Open your mind with a new way of thinking, teaching and inspiring your players. You may find that the changes you make will bring you as much joy and satisfaction as coffee brings me every morning.
