Great teams are comprised of players who not only play their part – they also play their best. They give their all on a regular basis. What does it mean to play your best?. I am defining it in two ways. First, the things you don’t do when you play your best. You don’t slack, you don’t cut corners, you don’t go through the motions. Second, is a shortlist of what you actually do when playing your best.
– Play your part: see the previous lesson for details
– Prepare yourself: both physically and mentally.
– Practice hard: simulate and rehearse at full speed.
– Perform well: give your best when it is game time.
– Learn from mistakes: not everything will go as expected.
Walter Payton was a beast
I am a big fan of figuring out new ways to get results through modern training methods. As a culture, we have figured out better ways to do a whole lot of things. But, I have yet to see someone who consistently delivers impressive results that do not give their best on a regular basis. Slackers take the easy road that leads to mediocrity. Many talk a big game, but few actually deliver the results. Walter Payton trained hard, really hard in the off-season. He showed up every season in top shape and became a legend in the process.
Play your best and you will get better
Bottom line – you will get better over time when you do what is needed to play your best. The great athletes of the world understand this principle. Now – go be like Walter Payton. Get out there and do it.
Never die easy. Why run out of bounds and die easy? Make that linebacker pay. It carries into all facets of your life. It’s okay to lose, to die, but don’t die without trying, without giving it your best.
Walter Payton
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.