On Saturday I talked about Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and those intense Russian workouts he did… And it got me thinking about something…
The importance of learning to compete against… YOURSELF. It’s about developing that inner drive and not letting yourself down.
Every off-season, you have a decision to make. Are you going to sit around and do nothing, just go through the motions… or are you going to commit to getting better.
If you’ve ever seen Rocky IV (or any Rocky movie) you know what I’m talking about. Rocky had it… some of my favorite parts in those movies are the scenes when he’s in training mode getting ready for a big fight.
They show Rocky working his tail off (along with the classic cheesy music)… then they flash to his rival… Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang (Mr. T) or Drago…
[h4]In the off-season, it’s time to go into Rocky mode…[/h4]
Somewhere out there, there’s someone with just as much talent as you… and he wants the same thing you want. Are you going to let him outwork you???
Derek Jeter knew all about this from an early age. What did he say?
“There may be people who have more talent than you do, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.”
More than anything, it’s that mindset, that determination, that sets guys like Jeter apart. They know how to motivate themselves… they commit to getting the most out of themselves. Here’s another gem from ol’ #2:
“I love it when people doubt me. It makes me work harder to prove them wrong.”
I know that was a big one for me. Quick story…
When I was a senior in high school, I decided not to play football my senior year… I didn’t want to risk getting hurt.
And I caught some flack for the decision from some of my old football teammates.
I can still remember bumping into the football coach one day on the way to the parking lot… I could tell he was upset, and he questioned me on it.
[h4]”What’s the point? It’s not you’re gonna get drafted!”[/h4]
It was like a punch in the gut… Because that’s exactly what I wanted to happen. I knew I was planning to play in college, but getting drafted was a dream of mine.
Those words echoed in my head all winter. They fueled me… every time I wasn’t sure if I had the energy to put in the work, I remembered those words…
And today I’m thankful for that encounter. They gave me the kick in the butt I needed.
When spring baseball season came, I was ready… I finished with 80 strikeouts in 40 innings, and not only did I have multiple scholarship offers, but when the major league draft came, I got a call.
It even made it into the local papers. When the reporter asked me how it felt getting drafted, I think I said, “It was really neat.”
My friends at school gave me a hard time about that one…
But then I bumped into that football coach in the halls. I didn’t say anything… didn’t need to.
He kind of sighed… “Congratulations, Phil.”
“Thanks, coach.”
What drives you? If you want to get the most out of yourself, you’ve gotta be able to answer that.
You’ve gotta be able to picture that rival working just as hard as you, wanting it just as bad…
Or have that voice in the back of your mind that says you can’t do it… And know in your heart that you can!
Prove them wrong!
PS – If you’re ready to go into Rocky mode, don’t just go at it willy-nilly. In the Ballistic Pitching Blueprint you’ll get a proven system of drills for building a more powerful delivery along with detailed video explanations… It’s like having me right there with you.