In 1998, the NFL world was buzzing with anticipation. Two quarterbacks dominated every headline leading up to the draft: Peyton Manning, the polished son of an NFL quarterback, and Ryan Leaf, the physically gifted star from Washington State University.

To many scouts, Leaf looked like the future of the league. He had all the measurables. He stood 6’5″, weighed 235 pounds, and had the kind of cannon arm coaches dream about. He was coming off his junior year at Washington State, where he led his team to its first Rose Bowl in 67 years, set multiple Pac-10 passing records, and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. 

Everyone knew Payton Manning would be a star, but some argued Leaf had more upside: a bigger arm, better mobility, and a stronger build.

When the Indianapolis Colts selected Manning with the first pick, the San Diego Chargers pounced on Leaf at No. 2 overall, signing him to a $31.25 million contract with an $11.25 million signing bonus. The franchise believed they had found their savior.

But the dream unraveled almost immediately. Leaf missed his rookie training camp while negotiating his contract, putting him behind before he ever took a snap. When he did play, his inexperience showed. In just his third NFL game, he completed two passes for 23 yards, threw two interceptions, and fumbled three times. After the loss, he exploded in the locker room, screaming at a reporter in front of teammates and cameras.

It became obvious that Leaf lacked the maturity, work ethic, and humility required to succeed at the highest level. While Manning spent his rookie year absorbing the playbook, watching film, and building trust with his coaches, Leaf resisted guidance. He clashed with teammates, skipped workouts, and at times seemed more interested in the perks of being a celebrity athlete than the grind of becoming a great quarterback.

Injuries added to the trouble, but the real issue was his unwillingness to own his mistakes and grow from them. 

Teammates tried to take Leaf under their wings and teach him how to be a professional, but his ego wouldn’t allow it. Once, when invited by teammate John Carney to spend the weekend with renowned motivational speaker Tony Robbins on his private island in Fiji, Leaf responded: “F Tony Robbins.”

After just 3 seasons, the Chargers released Leaf, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him up. It was a chance for a fresh start. Coach Tony Dungy saw potential in Leaf and wanted to give him time as a backup to be groomed. But it required Leaf to take a pay cut, which he was unwilling to do, so the Bucs let him go. So did the Cowboys. By the time Leaf was picked up by his final team—the Seattle Seahawks—he was tired of being a punchline, mocked by fans, and seen as a failure, so he quit.

After just three seasons, with a record of 4–17 as a starter, 36 interceptions to 14 touchdowns, Leaf was out of the NFL entirely, stuck with the reputation no professional athlete ever wants to have attached to their name—bust.

Ryan Leaf became one of the most glaring examples of squandered potential in sports history. He had every physical tool needed to be great, but greatness requires more than talent. 

The Illusion of Progress

To be green means you have real potential. Congratulations, not everyone can say that. But the problem with potential is that it can feel rewarding before you’ve actually produced any results. “Whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first call promising,” warned Cyril Connoly. 

Depending on how long you’ve known you have it, and how many people have predicted your greatness, you can feel as if your presence alone means something. As if success is inevitable simply because you’re you, but you haven’t made a sale yet, or cashed a check. 

We live in a world where people celebrate an announcement more than an achievement. Startups raise millions of dollars before they have a viable product. A writer posts a picture sitting at their computer in a coffee shop, but hasn’t finished a chapter. An entrepreneur tells their friends and family, “Something big is coming!” before they have a plan to execute their dream.

What all of these examples have in common is the illusion of progress. Talking about what we’re going to do makes us feel like we’re doing it. But we’re not. At the beginning of any new endeavor, we’re nervous, excited, and insecure, so it’s natural that we want affirmation from others. But Research has shown that publicly declaring your goals triggers the same emotional reward in the brain as actually achieving them. Public recognition releases dopamine, giving you a false sense of momentum. You feel accomplished before you’ve accomplished anything. 

So why do we do it? Why do we talk more than we produce? Why do we act as if we’re successful before we’ve succeeded? Impatience.

The biggest challenge you face during the green phase is not letting your hunger for success rush the process. It’s hard to be patient when every news article or keynote presentation seems to be about some 25-year-old boy wonder who is taking their company public and becoming a billionaire. With the notoriety given to young achievers, you might assume that business is a young man’s game, but it’s not. Research tells us that you’ll make the most money after your fiftieth birthday, not before. It makes sense. It’s later in life when your experience pays off, your network grows, and you’ve learned valuable lessons. 

To be clear, I’m not talking about being passive—I’m talking about patience. Patience doesn’t mean sitting around waiting for success to fall in your lap. It means doing the right things long enough for them to start working. 

Potential lies to you. It tells you your idea is so good that the world will recognize its brilliance immediately. It tells you you don’t have to grind because destiny is on your side. But every professional who’s built something you want will tell you the same thing: it takes time, and it takes a plan.

When you’re just starting out a few things are almost certainly true: you’re not as good or as important as you think you are. You have things to learn. Most of what you think you know is wrong. (need to reword this.) I’m not saying you don’t have some valuable skills, i’m saying that you’re not as good as you think you are. You need some of that brash self -belief to get started That’s ok, but…

Indefinite Optimism

In his book Zero to One, investor and entrepreneur Peter Thiel uses the phrase “indefinite optimism” to describe a mindset shaping much of modern ambition—especially among young professionals. It’s the belief that the future will somehow turn out better, but without a concrete plan for how or why.

Indefinite optimism sounds positive on the surface. It’s filled with hope, energy, and a belief in possibility. But Thiel points out that it’s also dangerously vague. It’s optimism without direction—a faith in progress without planning.

This mindset shows up everywhere. Ask most people where they see themselves in five years, and they’ll say something like, “I’ll be more successful,” or “I’ll have my own company,” or “I’ll be doing something big.” But ask how they plan to get there, and the answer falls apart. There’s no clear roadmap, no measurable strategy, just a vague belief that “things will work out.” That’s indefinite optimism—it’s confidence without clarity. Indefinite optimists talk in generalities: “someday,” “eventually,” “when the timing’s right,” but they never commit to a concrete plan long enough to see results.

Thiel contrasts indefinite optimism with definite optimism—the belief that the future can be better, because you have a specific plan to make it so. Definite optimists don’t just believe in a better tomorrow—they build it. They don’t talk in vague terms. They know the next three steps they will take. There are deadlines,  guidelines, and butts on the line. 

The truth is, belief is cheap. Execution is expensive. With few exceptions, the successful execute a plan over time to arrive at their goal. Of course, luck plays a role—being in the right place at the right time—and some with privilege start farther ahead than others. But eventually, time will tell, and those who have patiently learned their craft and built their network will rise to the top.

So make the decision now at the beginning of this journey. No one owes you anything, and you’re guaranteed nothing. Your degree or your last name may have gotten you in the door, but it’s your performance that will keep you there. Who knows? What everyone says about you may turn out to be true, but right now, while you’re green, what matters most is building the skills to become ripe.

In the next few chapters, you will learn the most important qualities you need develop during the green phase.. We’ll cover the importance of being teachable, the power of consistency, the advantage of initiative. And the necessity for integrity. But for now, I want to encourage you to take a moment to set the direction of your future. You need a GPS.

When I first started my business, I knew I had potential. I had a great idea and something to offer. What I needed, like you, was clear direction. That’s where GPS comes in. In business, GPS stands for Goals, Priorities, and Schedule, and it’s critical for you to arrive at your ripe season. 

Goals define clearly where you want to go. Priorities are the daily decisions that move you towards your goals. And your schedule prioritizes your priorities. Together, your GPS will help you reach your full potential. Let’s look at each more closely.

Clearly Define your Goals

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood before Congress and made a bold promise—one that most leaders would’ve been too afraid to say out loud:  “This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

At that moment, America didn’t have the technology or the math to make that happen. We hadn’t figured out how to get a man safely into orbit, let alone to the moon and back. But Kennedy’s speech changed everything. It gave people direction and a finish line. Eight years later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, almost exactly within the timeframe Kennedy had set. That’s the power of a goal. 

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never recognize when you’ve arrived. That’s why defining your goals is essential. Life will always surprise you and take you down unexpected paths. You don’t have to predict the future perfectly, but you do need a destination in mind—one hopefully related to your dreams and skills.

Goals keep you from drifting through life. Too many people live with vague wishes instead of concrete goals. They say things like, “I want to be successful,” or “I’d like to make more money,” or “I want to be healthier.” Those aren’t goals; those are hopes, and unless they’re translated into clear, measurable goals, they rarely materialize. A goal takes the dream floating in your head and gives it a name, a number, and a deadline. Instead of saying, “I want to be healthier,” a goal says, “I will run a 5k in October,” or, “I will lose 20 pounds by Christmas.” The more specific you are, the more accountable you’ll be.

To be effective, goals must also be realistic and measurable. If they’re too vague, you’ll never know if you’ve hit them. If they’re too unrealistic, you’ll get discouraged and quit. The sweet spot is a goal that stretches you but doesn’t break you. It should be ambitious enough to demand growth, but attainable enough that with discipline and effort, you can achieve it.

So, what are your goals? Where do you want to be one year from now? Five years from now? How much money do you want to make? By when? Take a moment and write a few goals down on a piece of paper. What will it take to move from where you are today to where you know you could be? 

One of the biggest benefits of having your goals written down is that they give you a finish line. You’ll know exactly when you’ve arrived. Without that clarity, it’s easy to drift or constantly move the bar higher without realizing how far you’ve come. High achievers fall into this trap all the time—always chasing the next milestone, never pausing to recognize the last one. But if you set clear goals, you will be able to celebrate when you achieve them. Then you can set new goals.

Establish Your Priorities

Setting goals is the easy part. Anyone can say where they want to end up. The hard part is deciding what deserves your focus today. That’s where priorities come in.

Goals are about vision. Priorities are about tradeoffs. Every time you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else—and most people never stop to think about what that means. They want to chase every idea, answer every email, please every person, and still make progress on what matters most. But that’s impossible.

Success doesn’t come from doing more—it comes from doing what matters long enough for it to work. You can’t build something great when your attention is split twelve different ways. That’s why establishing your priorities is about deciding what matters most and then letting everything else fall in line behind it. It’s a process of ruthless clarity. You must learn to say “no” to good things so you can say “yes” to the best things.

Here’s a simple question to guide you: What are the few things you must do consistently to move you toward your goals? Everything else is secondary. For example, if your goal is to build a successful business, then sales calls, customer relationships, and product quality must be at the top of your priority list. If your goal is to run a marathon, then daily training, nutrition, and rest become your top three.

So how do you prioritize what’s most important? You schedule it. Your calendar tells the truth about what matters most to you. If it’s not on your calendar, it’s not really a priority. If you say your health is important, but there’s no workout on your calendar, it’s not a priority. If you say family matters, but every night is booked with meetings and side projects, it’s not a priority. If you say your business is your focus but you’re always playing golf, you’re lying to yourself. 

The highest performers don’t rely on motivation—they rely on structure. They treat their schedule like a contract with their future. Once something is on it, it’s non-negotiable. They show up whether they feel like it or not. Because consistency beats intensity every time.

In the early days of building my business, I knew that there were a handful of ways I could spend my time that would provide the greatest return for my business. One of those ways was our Monday morning sales calls. Each week, thousands of sales reps would gather on our call to be inspired and trained, and it was my job to lead that call. That meant that no matter where I was in the world, or what time I went to bed the night before, I never missed a call. I only missed three calls in 10 years, and that was because I was traveling somewhere without cell phone reception.

Monday sales calls were a priority because I knew our army of team members was the vehicle to accomplish my goals.

Create A Schedule

We already talked about the importance of scheduling our priorities. But let me help you get better at managing your time.

You already have a schedule, whether you realize it or not. Most of your days follow a pattern—when you wake up, check your phone, head to work, respond to emails, grab lunch, and scroll before bed. The question isn’t whether you have a schedule. The question is: Does your schedule protect what matters most?

For most people, the answer is no. Their days are hijacked by other people’s priorities—meetings that don’t matter, messages that can wait, and endless “urgent” tasks that add up to nothing. If you don’t manage your schedule, everyone else will. That’s why most people feel busy but not productive, exhausted but not effective. 

When Howard Schultz was building Starbucks, he would wake up every morning around 4:30 a.m. to review sales reports and store feedback before the sun rose. He started his day by focusing on what mattered most: the customer experience. He’d call underperforming store managers personally to check in, encourage them, and remind them of the mission. His example teaches two valuable lessons. First, early mornings create space for clarity and deep work. At 4:30 a.m., there are no meetings, no distractions, and no one asking for your time. It’s the rare part of the day that truly belongs to you. But his example also teaches us that a consistent appointment, even if it’s with yourself, is the key to accomplishing your goals and achieving your dreams.

Here’s a simple starting point: write down your top three priorities. Then open your calendar and set a “meeting” to protect that priority. That way when someone tries to hijack your time you can tell them, “Sorry, I have a meeting at that time.” If you say, I’m supposed to go the gym, or I’m supposed to read or rest, they will argue their need is more important, but if you have a meeting scheduled, they will assume you’re unavailable, because you are. So set those meetings and don’t cancel on yourself.

Exceeding Expectations

My family didn’t have much money when I was growing up. As a boy, I remember taking only one family vacation. My mom caught a foul ball at an Atlanta Braves game and won a trip to Sea Island, Georgia. It was the first time I ever saw the ocean.

Now, 30 years later, I have had the opportunity to cross oceans many times and travel the world. If you had asked that 10-year-old boy who never went on family vacations if he had ever dreamed of living my current life, I’m almost certain he would say, “No.” I knew I had potential. I had the desire to accomplish great things, and I wasn’t afraid of hard work. But my poor upbringing in a small country town limited my dreams. Maybe you can relate to my story.

If you work at it hard enough and long enough, not only will you meet your goals, but you will exceed them. I’ve witnessed it over and over again: a sales rep who set a goal to make a million dollars, whose earnings are well over a million now. An entrepreneur who set a goal to start a business and has started and sold multiple businesses by now.

Life tends to go one of two ways. For people who drift along, hoping their life will change one day, they are typically underwhelmed. Life never meets their aspirations. But for those with potential, who are willing to take their time, learn their craft, and build their network, their life exceeds their expectations.

Thirty years after my family took that trip to Sea Island, I had the opportunity to spend three weeks in Hawaii. I can honestly say, I’ve never seen more beautiful views than I saw on that trip. While standing on the shore looking out over the water, I thought about that boy who saw the ocean for the first time at Sea Island. I had come a long way.

I want you to experience your own Hawaii moment. A moment where you realize your hard work has taken you farther than you dreamed. If that’s what you want to, keep reading.