If you would like to accomplish something, you must first expected it from yourself.

I get frustrated, sometimes unreasonably so, when I hear high school athletes say, “I know we are going to lose.” I get equally disheartened when a student says, “I am going to fail this test.” The same befuddlement overcomes me when adults predict a negative outcome. This negative self-talk is indubitably a self fulfilling prophecy. If you think you are going to fail . . . you are very likely going to meet your expectations.

If you want to accomplish something, you must first expect it from yourself. You build this confidence by doing the work in preparation for success. It’s not enough to “think you are going to have success” . . . you must be prepared for success. This demands us, with purpose, to do the work in preparation for the accomplishment. Be it offseason preparation or studying for a test, be it investing the time in others or developing a strong team; accomplishment requires preparation. Do the work, and you will not only expect success . . . you will earn it.