Quarantine Life... Get 1% Better Every Day

Quarantine and COVID-19 has changed society as we knew it and it has been a challenging time for many people. First and foremost, I hope and pray that we as a community, country and world are able to overcome COVID-19, experiencing the least amount of harm possible. While it may have affected our daily lives of going to the store, going to a local restaurant, going to work, participating or watching sports, the #1 priority in all of this is we help each other and keep as many people as possible stay safe and healthy. 

Now, the reason I put the tweet at the top is I read that this morning and it really resonated with me. I truly believe that your daily motto/energy will guide you during this time. You can choose to attack these days with a positive mindset as outlined by Jon Gordon in Energy Bus (My favorite read so far during this quarantine) and in turn you will be granted with life changing opportunities. One of my favorite parts of Energy Bus is the idea of E (Event) + P (Perception or Positive Energy) = O (Outcome). There are events that happen to us daily (quarantine) that we have no control over, but your energy and mindset can result in a positive outcome no matter the event. 

During this quarantine time, I have been pushing myself to become a better coach, educator and person. I have been surrounding myself with learning opportunities in various formats while also still being able to connect with others and serve others. If you follow me on Twitter (@CoachK_WI) you will have seen almost daily posts with me getting the opportunity to listen and follow some of the best baseball coaches in the world. In the last month I have been fortunate enough to participate in over 50 zoom calls or coaching clinics/conferences. I have been able to challenge my thinking as a coach, listen to and follow some of my coaching idols and grow my overall knowledge of leadership and coaching. I also want to thank Baseball Coaches Insider and ABCA for giving out free videos from previous Clinics or Presentations. Being able to go back and watch Tim Corbin from 2008 and Augie Garrido present is something that would not have happened if it were not for these service providers providing content to better coaches. 

I cannot stress enough, how much the mindset of Get 1% Better Every Day has impacted me during the last month. Waking up every day and looking at it as an opportunity to better myself as an educator, coach and person is something that I cannot take for granted. I am able to watch, listen and follow future Hall of Fame coaches while taking endless amounts of notes. These days have provided an outlet for me to grow in so many ways. Being able to read numerous books, listen to podcasts, reflect on personal practices, partake in Zoom calls, and being able to connect with my students virtually are all things that I have been looking forward to every day during this unprecedented time.

While I have been pushed during this time in many ways to better myself, this time is not over. That is why I am writing this now. I want to reach people and want people to embrace the idea of bettering themselves a little bit every day during this quarantine and beyond. Whether it is writing a journal, listening to a podcast on positivity, downloading the Ten Percent Happier App, starting your own blog, I challenge you to use these next weeks during quarantine to wake up every day and try to grow yourself in some manner. Become a better coach, teacher, parent, brother, sister, whatever it is- get 1% better every day. Attack the day with a positive mindset and see how much you can grow in the coming weeks!

My last note will come from a Podcast I was listening to today. Sheets, (Who has put so much of this phenomenal baseball content out there and that has driven me to better myself) asked CJ Gillman (Cincinnati Reds Hitting Coordinator) "What has becoming a lifelong learner done for you?" And this answer resonated with me as this has been my thought process every day during quarantine and CJ Gillman responded with "It has provided me a sense of purpose". Bingo, that is what all these learning opportunities daily have given me, they have presented me with a purpose and a drive to become a better coach, educator and person. So to Sheets and anyone else who has provided content out there to better myself during this time, Thank you!

A Year in the UP... Next up UWEC

Well another adventure awaits. I was very fortunate and blessed to spend this past school year in two environments that have allowed me to grow as an educator and coach.

This past August, I took a leap of faith and moved to the UP to pursue an assistant coaching position at Finlandia University. I had no idea what this would entail or mean for my future. It led to a year of learning and growth and has now allowed me the opportunity to go back to my alma mater, University Wisconsin-Eau Claire, as an assistant baseball coach as they bring their program back from their hiatus since 1995. It is crazy to think that just 8 months ago I was moving to the UP as a first time college baseball coach and now I am able to be a part of the resurgence of UWEC baseball.

Again, it is very important to realize that I would not have this opportunity if it were not for Coach Brandt and the Finlandia University Athletic program. Coach Brandt took a chance on a young High School coach from Wisconsin and gave him an opportunity to pursue his dream. For that, I will always be thankful. Along the way I not only got to grow and learn from coaches on our staff but from our players daily and what it takes to succeed at the college level. "FU" will always have a different meaning to me and that is the family and connections I made while being part of the Finlandia University baseball program.

It would not be fair to write this and not include the school I was able to work at this past year. Being able to be the Special Education teacher this year at Jeffers High School allowed me to once again grow as an educator and create connections with students and staff that will always be a part of me. It was a special place to be and was great to see how the students take to and care about their education.

Once again, this is just a thank you and a stay in touch to all of those people (players, coaches, students, staff, parents) who have helped me and been a part of my journey in the UP. This will always be a special part of my journey but I am excited to get back to the Eau Claire area and help develop the UWEC baseball program in its return. You can never take the hill away from someone.

Go Blugolds!