` Everyone on top gets knocked to the ground, some harder than others, some more often than others. But what does it take to get back to where you want to be?

A FEW job.

A bit over a month ago, a mate of mine from school gave me a call and asked if I would be willing to do a speech at the season launch for the mighty Trundle Boomers.

What do I talk about to a bunch of rugby league diehards from a small farming community? The vast majority would have no idea who I was and what I had achieved, and probably a good few would never have had the pleasure of watching a rugby match (a good entertaining rugby match).

I decided I would talk about nine things I was required to do or have in my rugby career, and how they were also very much applicable to farming and business as well as any other field.

First, I addressed what it was that needed to be done even before I had started my journey. I had to have a clear goal of what it was I wanted to achieve. That was to become a professional football player in either league or union. I love both codes and genuinely enjoy playing both.

I talked about knowing what it was that I was going to have to do and deal with even before I had left Dubbo for Sydney. It’s imperative you realise what you are getting into before you start the journey. Are you aware of what it will take, and will you be willing to do that in order to reach your dream? If not, don’t even bother going down that path.

Then when you’re finally pursing your dream/goal, you’ll quickly have to work out whether or not it’s your passion. If you aren’t passionate about it you can’t give it 100 per cent of everything you have – and you will need to do that.

The next three things you will work out once the journey begins – only then will you be able to see if you possess the three traits necessary for what you thought was your dream job (and you might realise that actually it wasn’t).

We hear so often of country boys going down to pursue a professional rugby league or union career, with some coming back after a week or two. Maybe it wasn’t their dream, instead it was their friends’ or their parents’ dream.

I was pathetically weak and was one of the unfittest in the squad when I arrived at the Bulldogs. The trainer screamed from across the gym when I was attempting to do my first ever dip. I couldn’t even do a dip. Let that sink in... That was embarrassing, but it wasn’t going to beat me. Safe to say I didn’t remain that weak or unfit.

Once you’ve reached your goal, awesome, that’s pretty hard. Staying there is even tougher as everyone is now coming for you. Everyone on top gets knocked to the ground, some harder than others, some more often than others. But what does it take to get back to where you want to be?

Unfortunately, I found myself without a professional contract and having to work as a garbo fulltime, with my last game being the 2008 Super Rugby final. That didn’t stop me from going back to Step 1 and setting myself a goal. Twelve months later, I had won a Super Rugby title and earned my cap.

I don’t attribute my success solely to my natural skill set and work ethic. I sought out the advice and guidance of many coaches and consultants – rugby and non-rugby – physios, strength and conditioning coaches, Pilates instructors, yoga teachers and many more. To not acknowledge and recognise the influence and impact these people had on me would be arrogant. They were a huge catalyst for me achieving what I did, and I couldn’t have done that without them.

Your support network is everything, both personal and professional, don’t underestimate either of them.

Do you have or are you doing all of these things in pursuing your goals and dreams? Do you even know what your goals and dreams are? If not, there’s a starting point.

If you’d like to know what the nine steps were, send me an email and I’ll send them over to you: beaurobin[email protected]tioncoach.com

z Beau Robinson is an Action Coach Business Coach and former Super Rugby Champion and Wallaby. beaurobin[email protected]tioncoach.com