How To Turn Pro (And Stop Half-Assing It)

🗣️ Quotes of the Week:

"The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome."

"Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do."

- Steven Pressfield (both)

In this week’s dose, I dive into the concept of Turning Pro, exploring how to bring intentionality and excellence to every area of your life and stop half-assing it.

One Big Idea

Turning pro is about embracing the mindset of a professional, where every action and decision is driven by intentionality and excellence.

I spent 3.5 days at a retreat center in Austin last weekend, and one topic that came up was the idea of “turning pro”, inspired by Steven Pressfield’s book of the same name.

It was a concept that resonated deeply with 30+ high-performing sales professionals. Turning pro means bringing intentionality to every aspect of your life—your professional work, family time, well-being, and everything else important to you. By adopting the “pro” mindset, you commit to stop half-assing it, stop playing it safe, and do hard things in the face of fear.

Why This Matters

If you’re 100% honest with yourself, are you a pro in those areas? Or are you consistently showing up as a fraction of your best self? Do you phone it in, let yourself off the hook, take shortcuts, make excuses, or avoid action altogether?

Pros stick to their priorities and values. They constantly make hard decisions that align with what they want most in life. Amateurs fall to what they want now - the snack, the binge-watching, the beer, or the “putting off til tomorrow” mentality.

Amateurs are consumed by fear-based thoughts and deep-seated beliefs that make it all about them and protecting their ego. Instead of focusing on delivering their best work, they ruminate on what could happen if they put themselves out there.

I’ve been feeling this recently. Knowing that all things come into my life exactly when they’re meant to, I’ve taken this as a sign to examine where I’ve been playing small. Personally, I’ve been kicking the can down the road with in-person retreats, video content, a deeper course curriculum for my clients, and even this newsletter.

I’ve wanted to train jiu-jitsu with more intention, yet my actions don’t match.

I’ve wanted to step into more leadership and build community in Austin, but it’s been 7 months without any movement.

I’ve been an amateur in these areas.

The Big Picture

Turning Pro is about moving from amateur behavior to a professional mindset in all life areas.

Key principles like:

• Commitment to Growth: Continually striving for personal and professional development.
• Discipline & Routine: Creating an environment that supports turning pro.
• Resilience & Persistence: Overcoming obstacles with a professional approach. Pros don’t turn away when things get hard, they face it and dive right in.

In my experience, embodying a “pro” mindset makes things easier, not harder. I feel like I’m living more in alignment with my true self. I leave it all on the table, not holding back any effort. I push myself through initial resistance, dropping deeper into flow states, allowing me to tap into more fertile creativity.

Pros experience greater growth & fulfillment than amateurs. Amateurs keep themselves stuck in the same old cycles they’ve always been in.

As you think about turning pro, look at the areas in your life that are A. most important to you, and B. where you’ve been half-assing it. Only you will know if you’ve truly been treating yourself like a pro or if you’ve been giving in to amateur behavior.

Try this:

1. Set Clear Intentions: Define what 'Turning Pro' means for you in different life areas—work, family, health. How would it look for you?
2. Create a Daily Routine: Develop a routine that supports being a pro and stick to it for 30 days. Try my morning routine. What’s MOST important is that you curate an environment that supports the behaviors you most want.
3. Reflect & Adjust: Regularly review your progress every 2-4 weeks and make adjustments to stay on track.
4. Seek Accountability: Find a mentor, coach, or a like-minded group to keep you accountable.
5. Embrace Self-Development: Commit to being a lifelong learner. Check out Pressfield’s book “Turning Pro” if this resonates.

Turning Pro is about making a real commitment to show up fully in every area of your life. When you bring intentionality and focus, you'll see not only greater success but also deeper fulfillment. It's a tough shift, but the rewards are absolutely worth it.

Stop playing small and start living like the pro you're meant to be.