The Decision to Be Great: Introducing the Going Great Series (Going Great #1)

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they need to make a decision.

For most people, this is a passive choice. For others, it’s an active one.

But no matter how the decision is made, it will be made nonetheless.

“What will you do with your life?”

That question is what sparks the decision. And unfortunately, most people never answer it.

Sure, it looks like they answered it—they have a job title, a family, and a mortgage—but the truth is, they just lived. All the stuff they did happens naturally over time:

They needed money, so they got a job.
They found a spouse, so they got busy.
They needed a place to live, so they bought a house.

Everything happened due to a need or a primal desire. So in other words, they just lived.

“What will you do with your life?”

“Hmm…I think I’ll just live.”

That is how most people answer the question. If you don’t actively respond, that’s your answer.

But what if you have a different answer? What if you have the audacity to do more than just live?

Well then, I’d say you are at the right place.

The Decision to Be Great

“What will you do with your life?”

I’ve wrestled with that question the past few weeks.

No, I’m not some college student trying to pick a major—I have my degree and a career that uses it. But if you know anything about me, you know I’m in a unique situation.

I can’t speak on everything going on right now—frankly, no one would believe me if I did—but long story short, I already know my life’s purpose; I just haven’t committed to it yet, and that has to change.

There’s a difference between people who merely follow their mission and those who commit to it. The former group is like lukewarm coffee: not hot enough to wake you or cold enough to refresh. They act without purpose or vigor. And the difference between them and their committed counterparts is plain.

decision to be great going great #1 — Commit, and watch the sparks fly.

Even when I played ball as a teenager, I knew the difference commitment made.

The worst of my basketball peers weren’t the ones who couldn’t shoot, dribble, or pass. The worst players were the ones who didn’t want to become any better.

While the former group cared enough to eventually become stars, the latter stagnated forever.

That’s why our coach never trained us based on what we were, but rather, on what we could become:

If you could hit a hundred shots before practice, you were pushed to two hundred.
If you could handle one ball effectively, you ran the same drills with two.
And if you won the first scrimmage by five points, you started the next in a ten point deficit.

Everything was about what you could become. And if you wanted to become something special, you didn’t just play the game…

You made a commitment.

So similarly to that decision, I’ve decided to make a commitment:

I’ve decided to become great.

Not great as in superior, snobby, or high-class, but great in terms of impact.

The chains that held me back are finally gone and I’m fully healthy for the first time in years. So why not use this newfound energy for the better?

Sure, I’ve done a good job so far in my limited state, but I have a feeling that much more than “good” will be required soon, so I’ve decided to be proactive.

The Going Great Series

As a result of this choice, I’m starting a series all about becoming great.

Each post here will focus on actions to help you make a large impact for good in the world. Some posts will be about preparation, others will cover mindsets and attitudes, and a few will discuss strategies to do great things.

This is a series I’ll work on for the rest of the year, and I think it’s a great opportunity for you and I to grow together. My goal here is to create a reference for whenever you need the extra discipline to ramp things up. So hopefully we’ll both benefit.

I’m not sure how long the series is gonna be, but I’ll play that by ear and see how it goes. I’ve got some good posts in-process already and I don’t want to limit myself with a number.

But before we get to that other stuff, I encourage you to make the same choice I did first.

Don’t just live your life. Commit to something better.

Decide to be great at whatever you do. And then…

…Well, you’ll have to come back later to find out.

-Drew

Other Posts in the Going Great Series: