'Simple' is the New Black
It boggles my mind how people get bored with the simple.
“Erin, what did you do to make your hands so quick??” Lots of cone drills.
“How can I make my hand speed better?” Track how many pulls you can do in 30 seconds.
“I want to learn that really cool shot you did.” Well you can’t do that if you can’t receive the ball and have a good first touch in the circle.
“Erin, you don't just stand still and do pulls in a game; why do you do them so often?” You’re right ... in games it's pulls on the move, big enough to get around defenders, and at a quick enough speed. But I can’t do them on the move, big enough to get around defenders, and quick enough, if I can’t master yard-length, stationary ones. So, I’ll never stop doing the same ones that I've been doing since I was 9!
People don’t want to hear about the “boring” stuff. They don’t want to continue working on the simple, mundane stuff. But whether you can handle brutal honesty or not, you’ll never be great if you can’t do the that stuff better than everyone else.
(If you’re Ms. Graham, my fifth grade teacher, and cringing at how many times I just used the word, “stuff,” I apologize. But, “stuff” is a great word. I like, “stuff.”)
The amount of people who ask the questions above and expect a revolutionary, mind-boggling answer is absurd. Sorry everyone, I hate to burst your bubble, but it really isn’t anything crazy exciting.
Or is it…
Like most things, it’s a mindset. The difference is that the boring, simple, mundane stuff isn’t one bit boring, simple, or mundane to the greats you tell stories about at the dinner table.
The “here we go again” thoughts are what set you apart ... are what help you make it to the top and remain at the top. Embrace them.
Winning teams and individuals are rooted in habit. We know that. So, why do we tend to lose sight of that? Aristotle said it best, and Coach and my parents constantly provide reminders: “You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not a singular act but a habit.”
**Notice how he didn’t say perfection; he said excellence. More on that later too.**
Let’s talk math. (I can’t believe I willingly typed that because I absolutely hate math.) I’ll keep it 101 though, trust me. We’ve all heard this law before:
If a=b and b=c, then a=c.
So if we name the variables as such:
a: never getting bored of the simple
b: more consistent, quality skill execution
c: greater likelihood of sustained success
Then, the equation would read:
If never getting bored of the simple means more consistent, quality skill execution, and more consistent, quality skill execution means a greater likelihood of sustained success, then never getting bored of the simple is also equal to a greater likelihood of sustained success.
Read that again.
Are you here to finish third? Or even second? Because I’m sure as hell not.
So why are you not doing everything you can to create habits that generate winning? And then, why would you forgo those habits when it's proven they make a difference? (This also might sound obvious, but winning means #1.)
There is obviously a lot more that goes into the bigger picture than just the fundamentals. But that’s the foundation that allows you to not only run but to fly. Without a foundation, there’s nothing to build upon and there’s no stability. And without constant care, attention, and maintenance, there’s no sense of longevity either.
I’ve learned a lot over the years about pushing my limits and feeling challenged to take the next step in getting better - whether that means taking my body further than I thought it could go, mentally being more confident, and/or everything in between. There’s no question that being an elite athlete, CEO, coach, parent - anyone, requires you to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
That said, I believe in balancing those challenging moments with honoring the fundamentals and trusting that they will forever make a difference.
I’ll never stop doing my pulls. I’ll never stop focusing on basic receiving, passing, and shooting.
I’ll never stop trying to execute the simple as cleanly and as efficiently as possible.
You can ask all the questions you want, and I’ll continue to give the same answers. You can also judge me all you want, or you are always welcome to join me in the corner of the field to work on the boring, simple, mundane stuff.
Your choice.
"Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest." - Leo Babauta
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