Todd Durkin and Jon Gordon

Todd Durkin is a professional trainer who got his big break training NFL MVPs LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees when they were young players just getting started in the NFL.

Jon Gordon asked him, 'How do you help some of the greatest athletes in the world get better?'

Here was his response:

Every great coach tells their athletes what they NEED to hear, not what they WANT to hear.  They hold their athletes accountable, the motivate them and start a fire within them.

Coaches provide accountability, the know-how, and the ability to inspire their athletes to get to the next level.

Our job is to tap into the spirit inside of them.  It is to tap into the mind, the body, the spirit, and the soul on every level, and ask, 'What can I do to get them better and to the next level?'

Todd was then asked, "What are some key principles that guide you?"

"You have to care about your athletes.  Care more and above and beyond the training and the skill work.  Find motivational quotes and and videos to send them to inspire them and to keep them going.  Ask them about life.

There are a lot of great trainers out there, but we have to learn to meet them on a more personal level.  A lot of our athletes might look like they have it all together on the outside, but inside, they are caving in, they are hurting, they are down and depressed, and they are filled with anxiety.  We have to lead and serve them and help them get to the next level.  So we have to train from the inside out."

What are some of your favorite high-performance principles to help them get better?

1 - Show up - If you don't show up, you can't be any good. 

2 - The 5 Ps - Perfect Practice Produces Peak Performance.  Fall in love with practice and the process.  When no one is watching, what are you doing?  Don't just do it because someone tells you too.  Fall in love with practicing, working hard, pushing yourself, lifting weights, running, training, and working on your craft. 

3 - Get your mind right - If your mind isn't right, nothing else matters.  You have to be mentally ready to prepare and to train.

What Have You Learned From Training Elite Athletes?

To be great, you have to be locked in, consistent, and do it every day.  It's easy to be great for one day, it's not easy to be great for 1 year, 5 years, or 15 years.  Be consistently great.  Don't cancel.  Show up day after day.  Be prepared.  Learn how to lock-in.  We are all busy.  Things are always being thrown at us, but when we are training, the most important thing that we can do is lock-in on what's important.  How do you lock-in?  When things aren't right in one area of your life, how do you not let it affect other areas of your life?  How do you lock-in on the here and now despite everything else that is going on in the world.
Have a vision for where you want to go, but focus on today.  Stay locked in on what you need to do right now to get you closer to achieving your vision.