"Dream Big, Work Hard, Have Fun"

Henry R. Shoemaker

November 4, 2025

🎯 Those are the words I’ve shared with my kids about their endeavors. Those words are quickly becoming my coaching mantra for my adult clients as well. Put them all together as more than words, as an ethos, and you have - a complete training and life philosophy.

☑️ Dream Big (without goals you get bored and plateau) ☑️ Work Hard (without dedication and sacrifice, dreams stay dreams) ☑️ Have Fun (suffering alone without joy will bring you regret)

Here's why you need all three:

DREAM BIG → Gives you direction Without an audacious goal - qualifying for worlds, earning a pro card, finishing your first 70.3 - you're just accumulating training volume with no purpose.

WORK HARD → Transforms dreams into reality

Potential without preparation is just hope. Success is found in the unglamorous work: the early morning swims, the long trainer rides staring at the wall, the “easy” treadmill runs where your mind tells you 20 minutes into your hour run that you’ll be fine without it.

HAVE FUN → Ensures longevity If you hate the process, you'll quit before you achieve the outcome. The athletes who last? They genuinely love the journey, even the hard parts.

🥇🥈🥉 I've spent 25+ years in high-performance coaching across business and athletics. The pattern is identical:

People who sustainably achieve extraordinary things? They're obsessed with their craft AND they enjoy the grind.

Give me the gritty persistent underdogs who love to have a good time. I’ll give you the high performers, next generation leaders, and worlds qualifiers who outperformed their “talent”!

Your training should challenge you AND energize you.

If it's only one or the other, something needs to change.

Which of the three do you struggle with most? 👇