Entitlement is refusing to accept responsibility.
Entitlement is thinking I am above the rules.
Entitlement is thinking I am the victim.
Entitlement is thinking it’s not my problem.
Entitlement is thinking it’s not my fault.
Entitlement is thinking I should be appreciated just for showing up.
Entitlement is believing I deserve.
"Whatever the cause of the sense of entitlement, the end result is that the person believes that he or she doesn’t have to play by the rules of responsibility, ownership, and commitment.” (Dr. Townsend)
Entitlement is an attitude, which means it’s a habit of thought, and you choose your thoughts. Although entitlement has been around forever, this might be the most entitled generation yet. Many believe they deserve a trophy, deserve more playing time, deserve a scholarship, and deserve to take more shots in a game -- all without having to do the hard work to earn them. Parents, culture, and experiences may influence someone towards entitlement, but they don’t create it.
Instead, adopt the attitude that we are responsible for our own lives, and no one owes us anything. The solution to entitlement is doing life the hard way. Dr. Townsend defines the hard way as the habit of doing what is best, rather than what is comfortable to achieve a worthwhile outcome. Dr. Townsend offers 4 solutions that all focus on doing hard things the right way to achieve a worthwhile result.
Make no mistake, there is no easy way. There is the hard way and there is the harder way. The harder way (entitlement) takes shortcuts that catch up to you in the long run.
1. Understand the Power of Words
Words matter. Words reveal your thoughts. It is physically impossible to say something you haven't first thought about. Words affect our feelings, behavior, relationships, and emotions.
The first step to curing entitlement is to remove the phrase “I deserve” from your vocabulary, and replace it with “I am responsible”.
I deserve is a dangerous phrase.
“I deserve more playing time”
“I deserve to be the mvp”
“I deserve to take a day off”
“I deserve to be more appreciated”
What did you do to deserve this? “I don't know, I just deserve it”
You have lots of needs, but you don't deserve anything in the football world.
The phrase “I deserve” is DISEMPOWERING.
The phrase “I am responsible” is EMPOWERING.
It places the ball in your field. Responsibility puts you in charge and gives you the choice to take action.
2. Do The Hard Things First
Successful people have tough mornings and easier evenings. They do the hard assignments, then the easy ones. Positive reinforcements motivate us. You eat your dinner then get to eat dessert. This eliminates the temptations of procrastinating and taking shortcuts. Make your #1 priority doing the next hard thing. Even if it's painful and boring, requires more energy, takes more time, and feels uncomfortable, success is on the other side of that. Choose discipline.
Members of this up and coming generation are the product of over-parenting. From the time they are born, their parents have been telling them how special they are. While I am a firm believer that each individual is unique and has special gifts, that is not an excuse to expect everything to be handed to you.
It’s hard to coach an entitled person. It's hard to teach them the beautiful game when you don't know if they'll trust the process.
Kids won't grind. Reality: they won't grind if no one is watching. They are perfectly capable of working hard. They just don't want their hard work to go unnoticed.
Players should not get a trophy for showing up and doing your job. If they want more, do more. You’re not entitled to anything. You don't deserve anything, but if you put in the hard work, you can earn anything you want!
Original Article Written By: Julie Fournier, Remixed by P.F.C.
