How bad do you want to be the best? Whether we are talking being the best in your sport, academics, or career, it still takes the same focus, motivation, commitment, and resiliency to outperform the competition. Being “average” does not usually take much effort, but being the best requires a high degree of conviction and intrinsic motivation, and the willingness to do things the competition won’t do. For an athlete this might mean running one more lap after everyone else has gone home, and for a student this might mean thoroughly going through class notes one more time before bed. These seemingly “little things” add up over time, and lead to the difference between the best and everyone else. In essence, there are no days off when it comes to greatness.
If you ask the right questions, you will get the right answers
When we have conviction to be the best, we train our brains to regularly look for ways to get better. The “no days off” philosophy is more metaphor than reality, meaning that while an athlete may not physically train every day (our bodies need proper rest in order to maximize physical growth and development) athletes can still think and direct attention toward other technical and mental aspects relating to their sport. For example, reviewing the last game might lead to new questions, like what do I need to do next time so that I make that play? This question might lead to a variety of possible answers that can each be scrutinized for efficiency, leading to the best approaches to consider the next time the athlete competes. By asking oneself what and how things can be improved, the “no days off” philosophy is utilized and performance improves as a result.
How are YOU getting better than the competition? Are you doing the things they refuse to do? Are you working toward your goals while others are taking the day off? Knowing that you have outworked the competition provides a huge confidence boost and is often the difference between winning and losing.
Final thoughts
How bad do you want to be the best? If you are not willing to do what the competition is not doing, then you may not be as motivated as you think. The “no days off” approach to training does not mean pushing your body to exhaustion every day, but it is instead designed to be a metaphor reminder that there are always things you can be thinking about and learning that will contribute to your overall talent and ability. So, what are you doing today to separate from the competition?
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