Category: My Personal Journey
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How I created a football tactics empire
In 2016, I started TheMastermindSite.com as a passion project, writing about whatever interested me at the time. Five hundred articles and five years of coaching experience later, I had created one of the biggest platforms in the tactics/analysis space, certainly by a sole proprietor. Now going on 1,200 articles, I deep-dive into how I created…
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The path of most resistance
In the first book I ever wrote, the main characters had a rule for themselves as they navigated a death-defying competition. “Always choose the path of most resistance.” The idea in the story is that the easy way out is where you naturally feel compelled to go. But the more difficult route is often the…
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Better if you do
I’ve been told a lot of things this year. Toward the top of the list is an oh so familiar phrase that I never want to hear again. “I didn’t want to bother you.” Why do we always feel like we’re bothering the people around us by asking questions? By engaging? By being part of…
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Establishing your priorities in life
Growing up, I was always the person with friends. I won Valedictorian in the most glaring of popularity contests in grade 8, and finished runner-up in grade 12 for the same prize after rocking the crowd with a rap. But then in university, I struggled to adjust. I struggled navigating the landscape of a new…
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Why I quit sports before the age of thirteen
I quit hockey and basketball before the age of 13. 70% of children in North America do the same. Yet still, coaches, “leaders”, and even parents make the same mistakes over and over. They create an environment that de-emphasizes fun and fulfillment. They emphasize all the wrong things instead. Winning. Pressure to perform to one’s…
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Move on, we’re not seventeen
“Move on, we’re not seventeen.” – Slide Away, Miley Cyrus About a month after leaving the best job I ever had, I met with probably the best boss I’ve ever had to discuss potential ways of coming back. One thing from that conversation has always stuck with me. “You never make up your mind.” To…
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How I improved my writing over the past 8 years
With everything that we do in life, the more we do it, the better we get. Especially when it continues to feel intrinsically motivating, and play rather than work. I’ve seen this with my own writing over the years, typically having a hard time looking a 2017 article in the eye. With that, here are…
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Why I love trail running
In the final culmination (hopefully final) of my injury woes, I opened Instagram and saw an algorithmic ad for the Golden Trail World Series, celebrating the successes of Remi Bonnet and Nienke Brinkman. Conducting my own research, it sounded like the most amazing form of our sport ever. Running, almost exclusively, on trails. On technical…
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Perfectly imperfect is perfect
Growing up, I was often afraid to mess up. In adulthood, I’ve realized that messing up is so much more fun. Being perfect is not only unattainable, but so much more stressful than simply doing the thing well. Here is why I think that being imperfect is the only way to ever be perfect.
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How to identify where you want to go in life
If you could do anything in the world with zero chance of failure, what would you do? This is one of favourite conversation starters, and something I’ve asked to every single person that’s ever been close to me. As we progress through life, it’s incredibly easy to follow the path that’s been laid out in…
Rhys Desmond 