H.O.P.E.

Hope: How many times don’t we use this word? As in, “I hope I do well on this exam.” Or, “I hope I have a good race.” What we’re really saying is that we need some luck because our preparation had been less than adequate. If we are to successfully meet our goals, we need to think of Hope as an acronym for Heed, Obedience, Patience, and Energy:

H – We are willing to HEED the words of wisdom from those who have gone before us. We need to listen to our teachers, coaches, parents, and older siblings. They have experienced what we’re going through and can lead us to…
O – It produces OBEDIENCE because we have the confidence that the outcome will be good. Confidence comes with proper preparation. It’s not easy, though, so we have to have…
P – It gives us PATIENCE as we persevere through the temporary hardship. Training can be hard and cause temporary discomfort. Studying properly takes mental toughness, too. But with the goal in mind and proper preparation, we will have…
E – It gives us renewed ENERGY to keep working hard toward achieving that goal.

Goal setting is the process of H.O.P.E. Hope alone is like playing the lottery. Choose the former.