Shohie Ohtani is a name that baseball fans know. He was on the cover of Time Magazine recently as a player who is reviving the national pastime. Just in case you don’t know who he is, here are a few facts about his 2021 season.
- As a starting pitcher for the Anaheim Angels, he recorded 156 strikeouts last year
- He is the first player in MLB history to record over 10 home runs and 100 strikeouts in the same season
- He’s the first player to ever have 46 homers, 8 triples, and 25 stolen bases in a season
- He was the unanimous 2021 American League Most Valuable Player
Shohie Ohtani is a rare breed. There has never been a professional athlete like him in this modern age. Pitchers aren’t usually good hitters. He is a good pitcher, but he is also a good hitter, an all around good baseball player.
Ohani said, “I need to evolve. While others are getting better every year, I cannot stay the same.”
The Way I See It…We can’t all have Ohani’s talent, but we can all have his work ethic.
Here are 4 ways we can get better each year:
- Keep better time management – Keep a daily journal of your time and how you spend it. Analyze each day’s activities and time frame. Do you spend too much time on things that aren’t most important? Do you have wasted time within your schedule?
- Improve one competency – Pick one thing you do on a weekly or monthly basis and improve how you execute on that skill set. Watch and listen to someone that is better in that area. Have an expert critique you in that area and give you coaching tips on how to improve.
- Broaden your relationships – This is another way of saying make new friends. In church life we often live in a bubble. We get comfortable with who we know and we never meet new people. Don’t just have friends inside the church but stretch yourself and build relationships outside the walls of the church as well.
- Try something new in your church – Don’t stay the same. Keep asking the question, what should we do next? What new ministry is needed in your community? What current ministry do you have that needs a new approach?
Keith Durham 