March always brings a sense of renewal.

The days get longer. The air shifts. The world begins to wake up again. Things that looked dormant just weeks before start pushing through the soil.

Growth has a rhythm like that.

Before anything blooms, something has to break open. Seeds split. Roots push through resistance. Progress often begins in places that feel uncomfortable.

In our own lives, setbacks often play that same role.

Sometimes what looks like a step backward is actually the moment growth begins.

I have experienced that more than once in my career.

A Risk That Changed My Game

Years ago I made a decision that felt like a big gamble.

For most of my career I threw a 15 pound bowling ball. It was what I had always done. When something becomes part of your routine for that long, changing it feels risky.

But my rev rate was not matching up with my ball speed the way it needed to.

I remember having a conversation with Jason Belmonte about it. He mentioned that he thought I should consider dropping down to 14 pounds.

That was not a small adjustment. Ball weight changes everything. Timing. Feel. Muscle memory. Confidence.

Making that change meant risking a setback. It meant stepping away from what had always been familiar.

But big growth usually asks for big courage.

So I made the switch.

The results surprised even me. With the lighter ball I was able to generate more speed. My rev rate and ball speed started working together better, and the ball hit the pins harder.

The biggest difference showed up in my carry.

What initially felt like a risky move turned into a major step forward in my game.

Another Leap Into the Unknown

That was not the only time I took a big risk.

Over ten years ago, right before competing in the Bowling World Cup in South Africa, I made another major change.

For most of my career I used a five step approach.

Right before that event, I decided to change it to four steps.

If you bowl, you understand how big of a change that is. Your approach controls your timing, your rhythm, and the entire sequence of your shot. Changing that right before a major international competition might sound a little crazy.

But sometimes growth requires stepping into the unknown.

I trusted the adjustment and committed to it.

And it worked.

In fact, it worked so well that I have stayed with that four step approach ever since.

Looking back, that risk became another turning point in my development.

The Mindset Behind the Risk

Any time you change something that has been part of your routine for years, your mind starts asking questions.

What if this goes wrong?
What if it sets me back?
What if the timing never feels right again?

Those thoughts are natural.

But growth often lives on the other side of those fears.

I have never been afraid to take risks. In fact, I believe some of the biggest breakthroughs come from being willing to step into uncertainty.

Playing it safe can keep you comfortable.

But it can also keep you stuck.

Sometimes the only way to discover a better version of your game, your career, or even yourself is to be willing to try something that might fail.

Planting Belief During Hard Seasons

There are seasons when growth is obvious.

And then there are seasons where you are working hard and nothing seems to click.

Those are the moments when belief becomes the seed you plant.

During difficult stretches, I held onto a simple thought.

This is for something.

Even when I could not see the outcome yet, I believed the struggle had a purpose. I believed the lessons and adjustments were leading me somewhere better.

Growth does not always show up right away.

Sometimes it is happening quietly beneath the surface, building strength that will reveal itself later.

Just like spring growth begins underground before we ever see it above the soil.

Helping Others Grow Through What They Go Through

One of the things I enjoy most now is encouraging others when they face setbacks of their own.

My message is simple.

Do not be afraid to take risks.

Do not be afraid to fail.

Failure has a way of teaching you what success requires. Many times it points you exactly where you need to go.

Too many people hold back because they want to avoid mistakes.

But growth requires movement.
Movement requires risk.
And risk always carries the possibility of failure.

But it also carries the possibility of something better.

No risk. No reward.

Let the Setback Become the Water

Spring reminds us that growth always begins somewhere.

A buried seed eventually pushes upward. A small sprout becomes something strong and steady.

Our setbacks can work the same way.

A change can unlock new potential.
A struggle can sharpen your focus.
A risk can open a door you did not even know existed.

If you allow it, the setback can become the water that fuels your growth.

Plant belief.
Plant effort.
Plant persistence.

And trust that, in time, the growth will come.