It really is a legitimate question. It may seem like typical “coach-speak,” but at the core, it is a fundamental question every athlete should ask him- or herself. “Do I have what it takes?” Before you can answer, you should finish the question. Be specific. “Do I have what it takes to be successful?” is too vague. Questions like, “Do I have what it takes to be an all-district player?” and “Do I have what it takes to be a team captain?” are more like it.
The answers to these questions can be found within you, most notably your heart, desire, and work ethic. I like to think the answers can be found in the three D’s: Dedication, Determination, Discipline. This belief became the foundation for my business. It isn’t simply a nice slogan. It’s something I truly believe in and if you have what it takes, then you believe in them too.
Talent can only take you so far in life. Your talent has to be backed up with a work ethic and a commitment to doing the little things. Coach K noted in his recent book, The Gold Standard, that Dwayne Wade and LeBron James are better players now because they witnessed Kobe Bryant getting up early in the morning to train. Kobe could have easily stayed in his room and gotten his rest and no one would have blamed him. But Kobe has what it takes. He understands that he has natural talent, but he also understand that it takes more than talent to be a champion. Kobe understands that it takes work, heart, and desire to be a champion.
Let’s take a brief look at the three D’s mentioned before:
Discipline is a key component of having what it takes to succeed. Can you discipline yourself so that you won’t eat junk food and instead reach for some fruit? Do you have the discipline to get up and get going in the morning when the alarm clock goes off? Discipline is not punishment; discipline is making a commitment to yourself and your goals and sticking to them.
Determination pushes you through the tough times. You have to be determined to practice your ball handling in order to make your weak hand your strong hand. Determination keeps you pressing on to those 500 made jump shots you’ve committed yourself to making daily.
Dedication is the love you have for your craft that will keep you coming back for more. I’m dedicated to my wife and that means that even in the tough times we stand together. Are you so dedicated to improving that you’ll keep practicing a move until you have it down or will you give up on it? When the times are tough and things don’t go your way, then you will see how much dedication you truly possess.
As you’re reading this, do you feel any conviction within yourself? If you know you’ve been slacking on your workouts and you can push a little harder, then you are feeling some necessary conviction right now. You can try to fight it as much as you want, but you can’t lie to yourself. You know you can push harder.
One of my favorite t-shirts growing up had a saying on it that I lived by while training and continue to live by as a coach and business owner. You may have seen something similar. It goes like this: “When you’re at home sleeping there’s someone out there practicing and when you meet him head-to-head he’ll beat you.” That t-shirt drove me to practice and push myself to the next level. I wanted to be the one doing the beating, not the one getting beat.
You have to dig deep within yourself and push yourself out of your comfort zone in order to get better. There is no other way to do it. If you’re comfortable, then you’re not getting better. Are you sitting at home while the rest of your team is working out? Could you be going to open gym instead of playing video games? Did that state championship game loss really leave a bad taste in your mouth and cause you to push yourself harder in your workouts? Or did you just enjoy being in the paper, living in the limelight, and being a star for that moment? Do you want to be that player that your teammates depend on or would you rather sit back and let someone be that player?
It is important to remember that there is a sacrifice that has to be made to be the best. You may be required to give up your free time or you might have to put the video game controller down. There is a price to be paid. But part of determining whether or not you have what it takes is finding out if you are willing to make the sacrifice. I know plenty of people, including myself, that were willing to pay that price. I sacrificed my free time and my social life. I never attended my high school prom. I couldn’t because I knew that there was someone out there practicing while I was dancing the night away.
Now, take a look at your goals and dreams and then look at the workouts you’ve been doing. Are your workouts so intense that they will push you to get better so you can accomplish your goals, or are they keeping you comfortable and at the same level? The great ones find a way to push themselves out of that comfort zone. I still remember as a kid reading that Michael Jordan practiced harder than he played. He understood that if he pushed himself harder than anyone in those practice sessions then the game would be easy. Are you doing that same thing?
I implore you to continually revisit your goals and the question, “Do I have what it takes…” Self-assessment is a critical component for achieving success. Be honest with yourself. If the intensity in your workouts is comfortable, then push yourself to a higher level. Your body adapts to the physical demands that are placed on it. If you are sitting pretty right now, then your body is too. Done in the proper way, your body will respond and you will reach the next level in your training. But do you really have what it takes?
If you have any questions or if I can help you in any way, then please feel free to contact me at jhartman@3dssportsperformance.com.
