Should I Stay or Should I Go? Making Hard Decisions Easier.

So much of sport is about different chapters, right? With each chapter and transition, there are countless facets to consider and decisions to make. One thing that can tie the whole journey together quite powerfully is how connected you are to yourself.

In fact, just take a moment to think about it… can you see in your mind’s eye those athletes that are super connected to themselves, they just carry a different kind of energy. It’s palpable. And that energy has the power to change the game.

To truly connect with yourself, you need to understand who you are. This means spending time with your thoughts, feelings, and ideas, engaging with yourself on a holistic level to discover what makes you tick, and what takes you away from your center, and of course what brings you back to it. When you build this kind of self-awareness, you start to see your journey more clearly.

Think about it like this: the decisions you make when you are deeply connected to yourself—when you feel confident and aligned—might not always be what others would choose for you, but they will feel the most nourishing because they resonate with the essence of who you are. On the other hand, decisions made when you’re feeling disconnected from yourself, while potentially impactful, are often influenced by external factors and can lead to even more disconnection as you move forward.

This is a powerful time for many athletes who are reflecting on where they've come from and considering where they want to go next. And it's not just Olympians I’m talking about—think about the community of athletes who never made the Olympic cut, those sidelined by injury, or those who faced circumstances that kept their Olympic dream from becoming a reality. Athletes in this category often face questions like, "Should I keep going? Will I ever make it? Is it worth it? Am I good enough to pull it all together?"

These are real, weighty questions, and I know them well because I asked myself the same ones many times.

THE QUESTIONS WE SPEND TIME ON BECOME THE LAUNCHING POINT FOR THE REST OF OUR CAREERS.

So, how do you know if you should stay on your current path or move on to the next chapter of your life?

Here’s the thing: I don’t have the answer to that—you do.

If there’s anything worth become deeply dedicated to then let it be an inner fortress of self knowing and self trust. To have a level of unbreakable faith in yourself is like committing to a life where you literally get to play and have fun and surprise yourself with the results, while being absolutely focused on the life you desire. By connecting deeply with yourself, you’ll find the clarity to make the decision that’s best for you, not just in the context of your sport, but in every aspect of your life.

The decision is always yours.