The Cost to be the Boss

Who first said “You gotta pay the cost to be the boss?” Not sure but my mom was the first person I ever heard say it. It was sort of a trite axiom that meant wusses don’t make it to the pros. I’ve known and worked out with NBA players and one thing that’s certain is that there’s a steep price to being an athlete for a living.

Being a professional athlete could cost you the following:

• Consistent time with Family
• Financial Privacy (family, friends and strangers will pursue your fortune like it’s their job)
• Freedom to work where you want to live
• Freedom to sky dive, snowboard, ski and basically do anything adventurous or fun
• Freedom to live a private romantic life
• A life in which people value you for who you are and not what you do

I’ve seen it with my own eyes and not everyone is cut out for the dream job. Believe me. I have friends who play professionally overseas and have missed most of their kids’ childhoods. Then there’s the desperation and pressure of competing for a new job each year. Remember, not everyone is Kobe. Or what about the language barrier should you be one of the players that has to cross country lines to earn your pay? Do you speak Arabic, Hebrew, Russian or Portuguese? Can you handle the barrage of family asking for $5,000 to start a new business, the countless fans who want you to sign their jersey so they can sell it online or the people who want to fraudulently accuse you of criminal activity for their own financial gain?

See I enjoyed trying to play professionally, especially the second time around. But as with anything, you need to know what your dream will or could cost you if it’s realized. Here’s the order of operation for pursuing the DREAM:

1. Make the Pursuit a Priority and commit to daily preparation
2. Count the potential cost associated with what you want to do
3. Determine which of the “costs” pose the greatest threat to you and your dream.

For those of you interested in the “dream job”, you’ve got to take the dream off its pedestal because counting the cost could be the most significant step you take toward turning fantasy into livelihood.