MJ Mondays | The Work

Success isn’t promised or given to anybody; especially not sustainable success. If you see somebody on top for an extended period of time, believe that they have put in the work to get to the top, and they have continued the work to stay on top. They have overcome challenges and adversity that we will never see or know about on their journey. They just never quit.

That is what Michael Jordan’s former teammate B.J. Armstrong said about him. B.J. said that nothing was going to keep Michael from achieving what he wanted to achieve. He was too focused, competitive, and driven to let anything stop him.

Early in his career, guys like Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas, and teams like the Celtics and the Pistons did a good job of stopping him. But he took his losses, learned his lessons, and came back stronger and better each year until he was at the top of the mountain.

There are a lot of 6’6 athletes in the NBA, but there aren’t nearly as many 6’6 athletes who were willing to put in the work that it takes to be the best. The work is the difference. The will is the difference. Having a goal and a plan is the difference. Being willing to overcome everything that can and will get in the way is the difference.

College basketball star Hailey Van Lith said that when she was playing AAU basketball in high school, every year she saw some players fall off while others kept getting better. She could tell who was putting the work in and who wasn’t.

Have a goal, have a vision, and have a plan. Then have the will and competitive spirit to reach that goal over, through, and around all of the adversity along the way.