How to tell if you're putting in enough work to reach your goals
In Soccer, whether I was playing as a youth, college, or pro, I always wanted to learn. I knew there were better players than me, so I took pride in becoming a student of the game. The further I progressed, the thing that stuck out to me was the work that players put in to perfect their craft. A lot of players understand that they need to work hard, but don't know if they’re putting in the work. In this blog post, I explain the necessary things you should focus on when it comes to working hard.
1. Write your workouts down
What I see a lot of times is players not knowing where their time went! They find themselves thinking they have done a lot of work, and in reality, they haven't. A lot of times, people need to learn from visual, and to write things down can help with that. Writing out what you do every hour for a month consistently will give you an idea of how much you're dedicating to soccer. Being honest with yourself is enormous in your development, so be sure to ask yourself the tough questions so you can grow as a player.
2. Ask your coaches if they feel you’re improving
Coaches are great resources because they're there to make you a better player. Because they're trying to help you grow, they'll be able to give you honest feedback on the things you do well and the things you will need to improve on. Use your coaches words as motivation to get out to the training field and do more than you're currently doing. Remember, you have to change habits and put in the extra work, day in and day out.
3. The second you get comfortable and feel as if you have made it keep going.
I've seen this a lot, players get comfortable, improve, and then feel like they've made it. When this happens, you're going to fail. When you stop working, someone else continues to work and not rest on what they've done in the past. Soccer is a game that will never be perfected. There is always room for improvement, only so many want to put in the work to do so.