Know Your Why

You can find good information, when not even looking for it. Last sunday I was watching ESPN and the morning NFL show was on and they did a segment on the rookie quarterback Robert Griffith III (RG3). The segment interviewed veteran players who had gained a lot of respect for him as he came to the team. Most of these segments are all the same, but I took away a message that is RG3's catch phrase, as it is also his twitter tag. It was, "Know your why"

This seemed to really be an aspect that many of the former players seemed to respect. The idea that he knew exactly his "why." Many of the former and veteran players believed that this is why he'll be successful in the NFL. I believe it is a message of how to be successful at what you are focusing on at being successful at.

It goes directly to 2 points that I have brought up before in this blog: Goals and Purpose. I have stressed the importance that a swimmer's main purpose should be for themselves, as if the main purpose is for an outside source it is hard to keep that motivation over time. I also stress goals as being the key to long term success and being able to continue the work ethic through years of hard work.

Even the interviewees mentioned that fact that if you know your why, you can use that to push you to do that extra set, repetition, or effort. I believe that a goal can be used the same, as what is going to push you through that Saturday Morning Workout when it is workout number 9 on the week; you are in hour 2 of that workout; and your coach gives you a long aerobic set that you know you can totally fake the effort through the set. The self-reminder of that goal can be that motivation you need to push hard and do that "extra" to be extraordinary.

Knowing your why, I believe has to do with purpose as well. I think that if you know why you are there, you know why you have to always push through. I think it also makes you happy with what you are doing, and happiness is important to be successful, and part of sports that many ignore and prohibit them from achieving higher. Happiness is important.

So, do you know your why?