Clarity equals power
Mar 28, 2022In a few weeks I will be speaking at the WBCA Convention. My topic is the 4 Step Process to Reaching your Recruiting Goals.
The first step is clarity equals power.
If you want to create any result in your recruiting, your program, or your life, you need to get clear on two important things: exactly what you want and why you want it.
I have found that the more clear you are on exactly what you want and why you want it, the faster and easier it’s going to be for you to create results. Like the picture above, you are now focusing all of your actions and choices in one direction instead of a million different directions.
When you have clarity on the what and why, it also gives you laser focus and becomes your filter to which you can make decisions through.
Now, I know this may sound obvious, but so many coaches miss this. I missed this for a very long time and it created a lot of havoc for me.
The reason I’m telling you this now is I want you to set yourself up to win. I want to help you avoid the many years of mindless wandering that I seemed to be doing with my recruiting, my coaching, and my life.
What do you want? What do you want from your recruiting? What do you want from your program? What do you want from your life?
I mean, if you’re just starting out at a new school, maybe what you want is just to get your first 10 commitments. If you’re already successful maybe you’re looking to get hired on at a bigger school or get those next level recruits. And if you’ve been at this for a few years, maybe you’re like, “You know, I really just want to find people that I can surround myself with that have the same drive, passion, and enjoyment for my sport that I do.
It doesn’t matter what it is that you want, but you need to be crystal clear on your outcomes that you want to create.
When I first had kids, I wasn’t really clear on how I was going to be a Division 1 head coach and a mom. I tried to do it all, all day every day and I pretty quickly became a hot mess.
When I realized I was just wandering and spinning my wheels going nowhere, I decided to get very specific as to what I wanted. I wanted to keep working to turn around the program I was at. I wanted to be a great mom who was there for my kids as they were growing up. I got clear as to the type of person and athlete I wanted to recruit (funny side note, I told my husband, who was my assistant, that I would fire him if he brought me anybody else who didn’t fit the profile I wanted. I was half kidding ?). And one of my big, first team milestones was to get them to a conference tournament for the first time ever. Those were the specific outcomes, the results that I wanted to create. And by just knowing those few things, I was able to really focus my time and my energy to do only what I needed to do to create those results.
When I clarified what was important to me, it was a whole lot easier to ignore everything that’s not. Getting clarity on these things eliminated a lot of options for me. I could now make decisions quicker and easier because I know had a filter to use. I would ask “does this lead me to my desire goal, or does this person fit my ideal player profile?” If yes, proceed. If no, then NO and move on.
And you know this. This world is full of noise and it’s full of distractions, but when you’re clear on what you want, it’s a lot easier to just shut off the noise.
For you coach, just take 10-15 minutes tonight to write out what you want for your recruiting, your program, and for your life. Review it again when you wake up tomorrow. Keep it on a piece of paper and bring it with you wherever you go for a week. Keep adding and subtracting from it.
When it is in a place you are comfortable with, use it to plan out your day. Eliminate anything on your to-do list that is a distraction or really isn’t going to help you accomplish your vision or goals. This can be a very powerful too you use.
Getting clear on why you want it will be coming in next weeks post so stay tuned!
Good luck! If you want my help, please reach out to me at [email protected].
P.S. If you have found this article helpful, please share it with your staff or other work colleagues! Studying time and energy management over these last 8 years and applying it to my coaching and recruiting has been a game changer for me. I am committed to helping coaches get more important work done in less time so more time can be spent with family and friends. Thanks!
