Goal setting is important, but it also can be fun. When you’re passionate about a goal, you have a reason to get up in the morning. When you know that the day ahead of you will be filled with wonderful opportunities, you can see yourself making progress as you march toward your goals.
Our goals may not always bring about the results we initially envisioned, but they will still get us closer to what we want and we will have wonderful opportunities along the way. For example, remember my goal when I was a rookie in the NBA to play until I was forty years old? Back in 1980 when I set that goal, no one played until that age. With the average NBA career being only three years, few NBA players could foresee themselves playing past their mid-thirties, and perhaps as a result of not thinking it was likely to happen, few of the players ever did play past that age. It’s a funny thing, but when the mind starts telling you certain things (negative or positive), your body has a way of just following along. So if you’re in your mid-thirties and tell yourself you’re old and washed up, you probably will be. I ended up playing professional basketball until I was forty-two years old. I played fourteen years in the NBA, and six years overseas. That’s a twenty-year professional basketball career. It wasn’t exactly the way I thought I would spend the last six years of my career. At the time, I didn’t appreciate the experience my time overseas would give me. My ego and pride kept me wishing I had played all twenty years in the NBA. But now when I reflect upon the wonderful opportunities basketball gave me, I’m grateful I spent six years traveling through Europe and other countries.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
[email protected]
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
