People often ask me “If you could go back and change one thing about your career, what would you change?” As each year passes my feelings and answer continue to change. Though my path to where I am was not what I envisioned it to be, it is so rewarding to have been through challenge after challenge and overcome the obstacles in my way, to make it to this point today. As a 9 year Major Leaguer who has been through the ups and downs of a baseball career, I’ve learned a lot over the years, especially when it comes to how to handle success, failure, and everything in between. These very things are what I believe are the true separators at the level I’m at. So no, I’m not sure I would CHANGE anything, but if I could go back in time and give my high school self some ADVICE,  these are the things I would share.

1. Don’t Let Your Results Affect the Way You Mentally and Physically Approach the Game

This is something that a lot of high school kids, myself included at times, struggled with. I would let my performance dictate my mindset. If I went out there and dominated, I was flying high and walking tall! . Whereas If I struggled, it felt like the world was closing in on me. I’d be extremely hard on myself and second-guess every decision I made. But the truth is, your results, good or bad, are just a small part of the bigger picture. They don’t define you…. unless you let them. It’s crucial to separate your self-worth and your approach to the game from the outcomes. If you’re consistently giving your best, working hard, and staying mentally strong, the results will take care of themselves. Put more stock into focusing on the process, not just the boxscore.

2. Fall in Love with the Pursuit of Success, Not Success Itself

Success can be fleeting, and when it’s your main focus, it’s easy to get discouraged when it’s not immediate. The key is to fall in love with the pursuit of success; getting up an hour earlier, staying an hour later, focusing on nutrition and sleep, finding the slightest edge over your competition…. the constant improvement. When you shift your mindset from “I need to succeed now” to “I want to improve and get better every day,” you’ll find fulfillment and joy in the process of being great, no matter where it takes you. The pursuit itself is what keeps you hungry, keeps you motivated, especially during tough times.

3. You Don’t Have to Feel Good to Play Good, and You Don’t Have to Feel Bad to Play Bad

There were plenty of times during my high school years and even into my early pro years where warming up for my start I felt off, either physically or mentally and I would let the doubt and lack of trust translate into a bad performance. Either my stuff in the bullpen wasn’t sharp or I couldn’t locate. Or maybe I didn’t get my normal amount of sleep and I’m a bit sluggish. Maybe it’s a road game and I didn’t get to make my good luck breakfast like I always do. Whatever the situation was, I immediately convinced myself through negative thought that today is not going to be a good one. But I quickly learned that how you feel isn’t always an indicator of how you’ll perform. Some of my best games (my No-Hitter included) came when I was less than 100%, and some of my worst came when I felt like I was a world beater and couldn’t possibly fail. The key is not to let your emotions or physical state dictate how you approach the game. Whether you’re feeling great or not, stay focused, stay in the moment, and know that your preparation and will to win, will carry you through.

4. Do It the Hard Way. There’s No Shortcut to Success

Throughout your baseball career and throughout your life in general the temptation for shortcuts is so strong. Whether it’s skipping steps in your training, or looking for the fastest way to get to the top, I’ve learned that shortcuts are rarely effective in the long run. There’s some people that are outrageously talented and have the ability to get by without having to put much work in, but eventually it catches up with everyone. The real success comes from doing the hard work when no one is watching. Putting in the extra hours, and being relentless towards perfection. You don’t have options if you want to be great. you have a choice. Either you will do what it takes or you won’t. That choice is up to you. There is no growth and no lessons to be learned by taking the easy way, it’s about the consistent grind and doing what others won’t do. There are no quick fixes to mastery, just countless hours of focused, intentional work. No one has ever put themselves in a worse position through hard work. They grow exponentially through the challenging times and build layers of mental fortitude to get them through whatever is yet to come. It is the key to long-term success.

In Conclusion

If you’re dreaming of achieving success in your sport—or in any field—remember that the journey is as important as the destination. Stay mentally strong, fall in love with the pursuit, and don’t let the good or bad days dictate your mindset. BE CONSISTENT! Embrace the challenges and work hard, because there are no shortcuts to greatness. Keep pushing yourself, and know that each step, even the difficult ones, are helping you become the person you’re meant to be.