Bhrett McCabe
Change the Rules of the Game
Every competitor operates by an internal rulebook. The problem is, the set of rules many of us were taught to believe in were written for spectators. Rules like "the game should be fair," "hard work must always pay off," and "good character guarantees a win." Spectators love these ideas because they make for a clean story. But as a competitor, living by them is a trap. If you keep playing by this fantasy rulebook, getting out of what I call Suckville may be an impossible task.
The Unsentimental Rules of Reality
The first chapter in the fantasy rulebook is the belief in a fair fight. The brutal, unsentimental reality is that the game is not fair, and integrity does not automatically lead to success. I have seen high-integrity people fail and low-integrity people win. Wasting even one ounce of mental energy on what "should have been" is a strategic disaster. Accepting this isn't cynical; it's the foundation of a professional mindset. It frees you from the drama of fairness and forces you to focus on what you can actually control.
The Competitor's Only Rule
Once you have the courage to burn that fantasy rulebook, you must replace it with the single most powerful rule in performance: your response determines your future. This is it. This is the master key. Adversity, bad breaks, and demanding coaches are not possibilities; they are constants. Getting caught up in the drama is a choice—a choice to surrender your power. The distinct difference between reacting emotionally and responding deliberately is the secret to your future. The competitor who masters their response masters their reality.
The Rule of the Inner Circle
Living by this new rule is simple, but not easy. The final step is to build a fortress around it, because everyone still operating from the fantasy rulebook will try to pull you back in. This is where you must learn to trust carefully. When you're struggling, it's easy to seek answers from anyone, but not all information is helpful. Enforcing your new standard means being relentlessly disciplined about who you listen to. You surround yourself with authentic guides who understand the process, not the salesmen and spectators who promise a fairytale result.
Stop thinking like a spectator. The world isn't fair, and your frustration is a luxury you can't afford. Embrace the one rule that gives you all the power—the rule of response—and then defend it with everything you have. That is how you truly change the game.