If you want to see your future, take a minute to look around and see who your friends and colleagues are.
If you are hanging out with drunks, druggies, and guys just living the dream, it will end up being your future. I can guarantee it. Your skill will run out one day and you will end up with all of your buddies living the dream and in ten years you will still be there drinking beer and remembering the “junior” days.
If you are hanging out with guys who work hard, train hard, do not waste time on alcohol and drugs, while studying for good grades, you will see success. In ten years you will look back at the junior days and remember how great the work was because you will likely already have your education and maybe be playing professionally.
Yes. It really is that simple.
Look around your room. You know who the party animals are, and I guarantee you those idiots will flame out before they achieve anything of substance. The same for the boys who are just chasing tail every night off instead of being committed to getting better.
Want to be a Tier III All Star, hang out with Tier III All Stars. Want to play Tier II, Major Junior or USHL? Hang out with players and train with players who are already there or on their way.
Friends that want you to be at their level, if it is not the highest level, really are not your friends. They are just players who already know they are living the dream and want company while they live it.
Friends who inspire you, who work with you to eliminate stupidity and distractions in order to reach higher goals are people you want to surround yourself with.
Smart people surround themselves with people who are better than they are. Whether it is at the gym, stick handling, shooting, passing or understanding systems, there is always room to improve and there is always someone better than you are. Surround yourself with those people.
You have already seen all of this. You know the boys who talk. All they do is talk. When you stop talking to them, their actions will give you all the information you need.
Make 2022 your year. Make the only resolution you can definitely keep. Become better by eliminating people and things that do not contribute to your success. When you do this, then you will accomplish things.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
