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There is a concept in the world of coaching called “playing full out.” It means to be 100% engaged in pursuing and reaching a goal. “Playing full out” means investing fully in whatever goal you aim to achieve, whether it’s building a strong community, launching a new business, or hitting a health milestone. This form of engagement is transformative, unlocking immense personal potential and driving significant change.

Playing full out is more than just a disciplined approach to reaching goals — it’s a profound commitment to fully investing in your dreams and aspirations. You likely know people who “play full out.” They are the people who set a goal and do whatever they need to do to achieve that goal. They set ambitious plans, take calculated risks, and quiet distractions and fear in pursuit of their goal.

I recently had the privilege of supporting a friend of mine, Anna Louden, at the prestigious running race, Western States. The Western States Endurance Run is the world’s oldest and most famous 100-mile trail race. Runners traverse the Sierra Nevada mountains, enduring over 18,000 feet of ascent and nearly 23,000 feet of descent. The race demands not only peak physical condition but also unparalleled mental strength.

This race is a masterclass in the concept of playing full out. Every single runner on the course needs to have a meticulous race plan, years of rigorous training behind them, and most importantly, a deep belief in their personal power and potential.

The first two qualities, while extremely important to playing full out, are far less significant than the latter quality — this deep belief in their personal power and potential.

I spent the day wondering less about their physical strength and race plans, and much more about this deep belief in personal potential. How does someone believe that they can do something so challenging? How do they trust themselves and their abilities enough to endure such extreme conditions for such a long period of time? How does someone who has the goal of running this race activate their abilities enough to qualify and successfully make it to the finish line?

It comes down to “playing full out.” This concept applies directly to Anna, not only for Western States but in all areas of her life. Simply, she has an ambitious vision, she creates plans that help her reach that vision, and she acts on those plans.

I have had the privilege of witnessing her do this over and over again in various running spaces for years. She takes something complicated, makes it uncomplicated, and follows through on her plans with an unwavering commitment to this vision. Of course, she faces setbacks! But she handles them with calm and grace.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you may have absolutely no intention whatsoever of running 100 miles. However, there are valuable lessons we can take from these athletes and apply to any challenge we may face in our lives.

Photo by Mike McGonagle, www.shitinthewoods.co

How to Play Full Out in Your Life and Work:

Step 1: Craft a Strong Vision

Creating a vision is the first step to playing full out. Your vision acts as a guiding star, providing clarity and direction. It’s about knowing what you truly desire and why that desire is important to your vision of self.

Activity: Visioning is one of the most powerful tools we possess in the world of coaching. It takes a goal and brings that goal to life. To work on visioning, try this:

Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
Imagine yourself in the future, having achieved your goal. Visualize every detail vividly: Where are you? What are you doing? How do you feel?
Now, write the journal entry in the present tense on the day you would have achieved this vision (for example, “It is January 1st, 2030”). What is true about the day you achieved your goal? What happened that day? Who are you with? What key factors got you to the point you wanted to get to?
If possible, leave this vision in a place where you can reference it regularly. Revisit it frequently.

Step 2: Establish Your Plan

A robust plan bridges the gap between your current state and your vision. This plan should include clear, actionable steps and timelines. It’s less about setting goals and more about creating a detailed roadmap that guides you into your vision. These plans are generally detailed and may require a substantial amount of reflection and/or work. It may also be helpful to rely on coaching to help you with this phase. For example, if your goal is to create a thriving business, this will look like writing out all of the tasks and milestones associated with each task. Yes, this will take time, but it will also help you reach your business goals much more quickly.

Activity: Create a List of What Might Go Into Your Plan

Sit down with a pack of sticky notes or index cards (ideally, in different colors).
Research all of the various categories of work and write all of those tasks on one color of sticky note. For example- things you need to learn, people to connect with, plans to create, etc.
Then, write the subtasks associated with each on a different sticky note. While this may seem like a massive amount of work, breaking down each category into actionable tasks will actually help your goal feel much more achievable.
Then, create a plan for each month. Which of those tasks can you pull into each month? Once you have all of your cards sorted, you will start to see a plan to realizing your vision.

Step 3: Embrace the Start

The start can be a daunting and humbling place to be. It can also be the most exciting place to be! Work on embracing your story, including the first chapter.

Activity: Confidence will build as you start to see your plan to fruition. However, it is important to put mechanisms in place to build this confidence from the beginning. To do this, create a confidence list:

Think about all of the strengths you bring to the table, and ways to bring out these authentic strengths. Write all of these strengths out.
Create a brag list. Every time you achieve a milestone, get a compliment on your progress, or boldly put yourself into the world, write it down. It is easy to forget how far you’ve come when things start to get challenging.
Commit to one action that aligns with your vision and execute it in the next day or two. What does boldly showing up today look like? What about tomorrow?

Interested in Continuing to Explore How to “Play Full Out” In Your Life and Work? Check Out the Following Reflection Questions:

What does playing full out mean to me?
What areas of my life can I focus on to unlock this full engagement?
What’s preventing me from being 100% energetically engaged in a goal I have set for myself? What would going all in look like?
If I played full out for the next 6 months, what might be possible for me?
What is a big dream I have not fully articulated for myself? What might achieving this dream mean to me?

Playing full out means more than being productive; it’s about full commitment to your vision. It’s about showing up fully, consistently putting in the work, and unlocking your potential. When you engage 100% of your energy, you open up limitless possibilities for personal and professional growth.

In conclusion, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes of all time: May we all lean into, and give power to, this light in each of us. May we allow it to help us play fully into our potential.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, talented, fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be? … Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you… And as we let our light shine, we unconscious give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” — Marianne Williamson