Do You Want To Be Like Mike?

I grew up during a pretty exciting time for professional basketball (and college, really). Both the 80s and 90s were when the NBA grew significantly in popularity. There was the Lakers' showtime dynasty vs the legendary Celtic teams, the rise of Air Jordan and his later championship run, the Bad Boy Detroit Piston teams, legendary big men like Kareem, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaq, and I could go on and on. But don't worry, this will not be a trip down my own basketball memory lane. We are going to talk about one of those players though - Michael Jordan.

Even for those of you who don't follow or care about basketball in any way, you are probably familiar with the name, Michael Jordan. He was one of the greatest, most exciting players who eventually won 3 championships in a row before retiring to play baseball, then came back and won 3 more championships in a row before retiring again. You may not be familiar with him simply because he was good though. He transcended the sport and became a pop cultural icon mainly because of how he changed sports marketing forever. He had his own shoe that is still as iconic as it was back in mid-80s.

Anyway, in pro basketball, they play a pretty long schedule. 82 regular-season games before the playoffs start. Depending on how a team does, they could end up playing an additional 26 games in the post-season. Not every regular season game is that meaningful and given the way the game of basketball works, no one, not even Michael Jordan, is going to have a great game every game. Some nights, you are just off. To shoot a ball into a small circle, everything has to be pretty much perfect. If your shot is a millimeter off, it doesn't go in and you get 0 points. The difference between success or failure is miniscule and often imperceptible. 

I remember nights where Michael Jordan just wasn't making his shots for whatever reason. When that would happen though, he didn't just have an off-game and that was that. Instead, he would GRIND. He would drive the ball to the hoop, jump up in the air, potentially get fouled by the other team, and go to the free throw line. That is where he would get most of his points. He wouldn't give up shooting at all and sometimes he get his rhythm back. But the point is, even when he was off his game, he would step up his effort and find a way to squeeze out points and help his team win.

This is an analogy that I think everyone can use in life- and certainly during your workouts. You won't always feel it. You won't have the same energy and coordination or drive that you might normally have or want. There will be off days. But your off-days don't have to be days off! (see what I did there! huh? huh??)  

This is where you Be Like Mike. You grind. Maybe your movements seem awkward and your arms feel heavy and slow but you just press even harder. Not just to survive your workout on an off day but to actually win it! You might not win it the way you normally win it where you feel good but you win it through sheer grit and determination. 

As is usually the case, this is all mental. You would be amazed at what a little bit of visualization can do. It is like magic sometimes. Next time you might be having one of those off-days, picture Michael Jordan (or someone else you find inspirational) having an off-day too. Imagine how they were able to grind through and overcome whatever they were feeling physically to accomplish something great. Then imagine that YOU are Michael Jordan taking on that grind. It may sound silly, like something you would maybe do as a kid but never as an adult. I want you to try it as an adult. And don't just say it to yourself, actually believe it! Might seem impossible but I am telling you that it has worked for me and others. 

When I say "worked,” I just mean that it gave me strength and changed the context of my workout. Instead of feeling down and like I just can't bring the heat, I feel powerful in the knowledge that I am a champion and can grind through simply with that championship mentality and will to win.

Again, I want you to try this for real. While you are boxing, at work, or even just doing life stuff.  Don't just read this and go, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, inspirational, Michael Jordan, yeah, I get it." Take it a step further, a step deeper. This has literally changed my life but you don't just have to believe in me. Believe in the power of your own mind. It's even stronger than we know, which I suppose is ironic on some level, but if you think about all of the unconscious and subconscious things our brains do, I have no doubt there are more things it can do that we may not even be aware of. I do know your mindset can drive your abilities. Tell yourself you’re a champion and you can become one.