Aptitude is that ability to learn and apply. A lot of colleges and universities still use the Scholastics Aptitude Test (S.A.T.) to determine which students will be successful. The goal is for students to graduate, be gainfully employed and donate money back to their alma mater.

Do you think college coaches look at S.A.T. scores when they are recruiting players? Of course they do because they want to make sure players can learn and quickly put what they learn into action.

Kevin O’Sullivan, a good friend of mine, is the head baseball coach at the University of Florida. The Florida Gators were my pick for the 2023 College World Series. Rest assured Sully is making sure he recruits players with high aptitude. Congrats to the LSU Tigers for being the 2023 CWS Champions.

Talent is what you do well, while habits are things you do well repeatedly without thought. Skills are things you do well repeatedly without thought while under stress.

How do you convert talent to habits and habits to skills? One of the ways that you do it is with aptitude. I believe aptitude can be amplified with reflection. A great way to reflect is by journaling daily.

I’ve been keeping a daily journal in my phone for the last eight years. I simply journal at least one new thing I learn daily.

For you, what you learn can be typed into your phone. You can even record a video of yourself.

The goal is to increase your ability to learn and apply.

Here are questions you can ask yourself and answer daily. Do it for 30 days.

• How do I feel today?
• Mentally?
• Emotionally?
• Physically?
• What’s one thing that I need to do today to become a better:
• Person?
• Baseball player?
• With the day coming to an end, how do I feel?
• Mentally?
• Emotionally?
• Physically?
• Did I get better today?
• Personally?
• Why? Why not?
• Baseball?
• Why? Why not?

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.

For more information, visit L.E.A.D. Center for Youth today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.

C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and a track record of success that can work for you.