How To Feel Like You Are 'Good Enough'

Do you have that inner voice that says you aren't enough?

Same.

We all do.

I played at Adelaide this weekend.

It's a close game with both teams battling in the 3rd quarter.

I make a nice spin move with a tough left-hand finish over the defender.

It felt good.

But never good enough.

5 minutes later I'm sitting on the bench.

I'm seeking out positive feedback from my peers for my move.

This isn't to lift others up.

This isn't to help the team win.

This is to make my ego feel like it's good enough.

That voice in the back of your head that tells you that you aren't enough.

It's always there.

Getting more buckets won't solve that.

Making that team won't solve that.

I don’t even think being the NBA MVP would 'fix' that feeling.

Some days the voice is just a whisper.

Some days the voice is holding the world's largest microphone.

It's not your job to wish it went away,

It is your job to choose how you respond to that voice.

Here are 3 ways I deal with that voice as a professional athlete.

1 Self-Reflection and Awareness:

I reflect on things from my past that might have made me feel not so great about myself. I started writing in a journal about how I felt when I played basketball.

2 Set Intrinsic Goals:

I make my own goals, like high-fiving the most teammates or practicing really hard. Creating controllable goals gives you something to put your attention and focus on.

3 Positive Self-Talk and Mindfulness:

Every time I make a mistake my mind quickly takes me to self-doubt. I fight back against this by taking a second to recognise that every time I make a mistake it gives me a chance to improve as a person. Success is only possible with failure.

Sometimes you will fail.

That doesn’t make you a failure.

Sometimes your best effort isn't good enough to get the job done.

That doesn’t mean you aren't good enough as a person.

Don’t beat yourself up for not feeling worthy.

It is part of the human experience.

Use that feeling to fuel you.

Use it to build and create.

Use it to help the person next to you feel like they are enough.

That’s how you become not only a great teammate, but a great person.

Thank you for reading.

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