In this book, you’ll be introduced to ADANA Dynamics, five principles of personal development that will help you create major shifts in your life. By actively engaging with the ADANA process, you’ll gain insights and tools to be your best self and live your best life. The acronym “ADANA” corresponds to each of the five steps of the process: 

A: Acknowledge Your Current Reality

Acknowledging your current reality means looking closely at yourself and taking an honest inventory of all domains of life, which I like to call the Six Fs: Future (academics, career), Fitness (including nutrition), Friendships (including romantic relationships), Family, Finances, and Fun (hobbies). Only after you dig deep and do a self-assessment can you move forward. You have to first open your eyes and really dissect those past experiences—hardships, limiting mindsets, bad habits—that routinely hold you back. Then you can take the next step...

D: Deal WITH Yesterday

When you deal with yesterday, you cleanse yourself of your past and ready yourself to move toward a better future. I truly feel that when a person cleans up the past, personal transformation is inevitable. “Dealing with it” is a very active and highly personalized part of the ADANA Dynamics process. You’ll experience major shifts in mindset and explore healthy ways to cope—emotionally, mentally, and physically.

A: Aspire For Tomorrow

After you create a clean slate by acknowledging your reality and dealing with it, you’re ready to create the life of your dreams. This is where it gets fun. When you aspire, you jumpstart your future. This means dreaming big, setting small and big goals, getting in touch with what you want from life, and surrounding yourself with the role models and mentors who can help you get it.

N: No-Nonsense Approach

A no-nonsense approach means being both loving and honest with yourself—and surrounding yourself with others who will do the same. This book is designed to bust you into gear and encourage you to push yourself. You’ve got one life, and I want you to live it! Go get it! Love it! But in order to do so, you’ve got to put away the flimsy excuses and become a badass. That’s the no-nonsense approach to living a life you’ll love.

A: Accountability

Holding yourself accountable means taking 100 percent responsibility for your life. Once you decide to go after your aspirations, you have to learn to hold yourself accountable to truly following through. We’ll talk about cultivating an internal sense of commitment as well as surrounding yourself with accountability partners who can help keep you on track.

How do I know that ADANA Dynamics works? Because I use it myself, and I use it in my classroom and with my athletes. I’ve witnessed the ways it has truly shifted the lives of those who have learned the approach, fallen in love with it, and followed through on using it in their daily lives. These are principles that you can use and build on throughout your entire life. Learn it now, practice it, and it’ll become second nature for you. Challenges and hardships come in many forms, and these tools and mindsets are versatile enough to get you through anything that comes at you. You have one precious life, and you owe it to yourself to envision the great possibilities and set your mind and heart to going after them. ADANA Dynamics will help you do just that.