IN THIS ISSUE
01 the first thought will always come
02 you make the choice before you feel ready
03 let your emotions match your desired reality
Hey club!
I’m on the floor. Five minutes into Game 1 of the playoffs. Ankle rolled. The first thought that came, the one I didn’t pick: are you serious?
I went back to the locker room. Got a shot. Taped it so tight I could barely feel my foot. Came back out and finished Game 1.
Later that night I couldn't play. Went to the hospital and got an MRI. But something clicked in that locker room that I want to share this week.
Let’s go.
PRINCIPLE #1
The first thought will always come.
When I hit the floor, the first thing that showed up was frustration. I didn’t choose it. It came before I had a chance to think. Nobody controls the first thought. That’s not weakness. That’s just human.
The question is never what the first thought was. The question is what you do with the second one.
PRINCIPLE #2
You make the choice before you feel ready.
In that locker room, I didn’t feel ready. I felt the ankle. I felt the doubt trying to find a home in my head. But I already knew what I was doing.
I wasn’t going back out there because I felt good. I was going back out there because winning was the reality I was moving toward. You don’t wait to feel ready. You make the decision, then you start feeling ready.
PRINCIPLE #3
Let your emotions match your desired reality.
Here’s what clicked for me in that locker room: me being sad or negative about the ankle wasn’t going to change the situation. It wasn’t going to make it heal faster. It wasn’t going to make us win.
So instead of letting my emotions match my current reality, I chose to let them match my desired reality. Winning. That’s the shift. Not toxic positivity. Not pretending it doesn’t hurt. Just deciding where you’re headed and letting your mind start catching up.
“When things go sideways, are your emotions pulling you toward your current reality or your desired one?”
The body decides. The mind follows. That’s not a motivational quote. That’s the sequence. Your first thought doesn’t define your second. The second one is a choice.
Most players don't have a plan for when the moment goes wrong. They just white-knuckle through it. I put my full reset process into a free guide so you've got something to reach for the next time everything falls apart.
Keep showing up,
Faith + Consistency,
Elijah
P.S. Next week: my season isn’t over. My summer is already planned. Here’s exactly how I use the offseason before it starts.
