People are always talking about, worrying about or attempting to figure out the future. So much so that they lose track of what is happening right now.

Since no one is ever going to be in the future, what is all this fuss about the future? Or, maybe the fuss is justified? It is fairly simple. The future you create for yourself informs the present such that the actions you need to take today are clear.

If your future isnt clear to you, the actions you need to take today that will allow you to achieve that future will be unclear. You will go through life waiting for something good to happen. Since we dont know where we are going, what is the likelihood of seeing clearly the actions to take today? And, just as importantly, give those actions our best effort.

It is akin to driving your car with your foot on the accelerator and the brake pedal at the same time. Not very effective action and sometimes downright dangerous. It also takes away the velocity of performance and damages our ability to achieve. Have you been doing this so long you dont notice anymore?

People tend to think that our actions are generated from our experience (the past). We might use something from the past, but what had us choose the action is that it fits the pathway to the future.

It IS simple. I didnt say it was easy. If I dont know where I am going, how can I figure out a game plan to get there? It is essential to figure out œwhat you want before you start working on œhow to get there.

When I was 10 years old I said I was going to be a professional athlete and, after that, a coach. Do you think I knew what it would take to do that? I didnt even know whether I would be a pro athlete in basketball or baseball. And, I was one of the smallest boys in my class. But, you see, I didnt know any better. Also, no one around me ever said œNo way, Jose.

Now I didnt know anything about the future ,or commitment or anything else for that matter. It just meant that I took actions every day to become a better athlete. As I was doing that, I began learning about what coaches do and what was important to being a good team. Fortunately, my experience in basketball supported that process. From the sixth grade until I finished community college I played on a championship team EVERY year. For you math majors that is nine years in a row.

In that process I went from a 57 senior in high school to a 61 sophomore in college. I continued to grow in college and eventually reached 64 and 195 lbs, and had the good fortune to play as a professional. Was I lucky that I had that huge growth spurt? Maybe so.

The thing about luck is you are only as lucky as you are prepared to take of advantage of it when it shows up in your life. I put in the time. I was prepared to have my dream become a reality. It was all the actions I had taken since I was 10.

It is never too late to create your future. Create a BIG future for yourself. Include all the bells and whistles. Dont reduce the risk. Remember, anything is possible.

If you haven’t yet, go ahead and pick up your copy of Coach Todds latest book, œThe Art of Losing over at Lulu.com. Also, be sure to check out his other books, as together they will support your daily actions.