5 things to understand differently when you want to get better every day

With the mourning of Kobe Bryant, and in the celebration of his life, the Internet is filled with motivational videos, quotes, and articles about his Mamba Mentality of "Try to get better every day."

Get better every day. This might sound like a pretty straight-forward thing to commit to.

• Why is it then that only 1% of people - in athletics, business, corporate - reach such distinguished level?
• How do these driven, motivated, and open-hearted business leaders create success that is multi-dimensional, sustainable, and fulfilling, and that allows them to make significant contributions to themselves and others?
• And more importantly, how can you put your stamp on the future, and leave a legacy of intentional impact?

As a former award-winning international basketball player myself and now a coach and consultant to business leaders, here are 5 things to understand in order to avoid costly gaps, leaks, and bottlenecks that are holding back 99% of people - whether they are athletes, entrepreneurs, or those focused on their professional careers.

Although time is simply an illusion, greatness, excellence, and winning attitude doesn't happen overnight; it is cultivated over years and years of intentional hard work, deep passion, and perseverance.

It's important to master your ability to simultaneously hold that vision for your future, and drop into each moment fully present, and committed to your mission on a mental, emotional, physical, spiritual levels.

That requires willingness and openness to continuously show up day after day after day to do the work, and trusting that each day brings you closer to the desired goal - even and especially when you don't know whether that moment is a day, a week, a month, a year, or a decade away.

This becomes particularly challenging in the era where success is measured primarily in dollar signs in relation to how many 90-day (programs) or 8-week (courses) has it taken to get "there." Because if it's not an "overnight success" then we must be "doing something wrong..."

Last but not least, time and timing are of the essence when it comes to seeking out and enlisting help from actual experts who have a proper understanding of all that it takes, in-depth knowledge of how it all works, and experience in why a particular framework, metrics, or matrix is better than the other in building out a proper foundation.

And speaking of foundation. If someone like Kobe would say "Let me teach you the one jump-shot technique you need to master so that you can play in the NBA..." Would you believe it?

Of course not. Nor would anyone ever say something that ridiculous. And yet here we are (especially in our coaching and consulting industry) where not a day goes by without bombardment of promises, how-to's, and ads for this or that "only one thing you need to..."

The truth is that a foundation for a sustainable 7- or 8-figure business is very different than what one can get away with at 6 figures. No doubt. But at what cost?

In addition to the financial cost of disruption and that of missed opportunity, time, and emotional, physical, spiritual cost, this one could arguably be the priciest of all:

Settling for these super-niched-down guru secrets, one-trick-pony marketers, and watered-down & dumbed-down techniques consequently becomes a double-edge sword that makes things difficult for both, business owners and experts serving at their highest level, and for the now-jaded audience to be served.

“I liked challenging people and making them uncomfortable,” Bryant once wrote “That’s what leads to introspection and that’s what leads to improvement. You could say I dared people to be their best selves.”

The fastest and simplest way to set yourself, your business (and your clientele) apart is by pursuing excellence when most just want to get it done, take the bow, and bank the cash.

Getting it done right ultimately paves the path to longevity in business:

• do it in a way that creates a positive, customized, and unforgettable experience for the clients;
• do it in a way that empowers the client to stand up and step up their game, shift their perception, and elevate their own commitments to themselves;
• do it in a way that empower your team's continuous growth, taps into their brilliance, and brings it all together to ignite your future success and impact...

That pursuit of excellence (not perfection) begins with striving to consistently be(come) the next best version of ourselves.

"Who do I have to become to get there? Is it even possible in the timeframe I’m thinking of? What do I have to let go of to pave the way forward? Am I on the right path? What if I screw up?"

These are some of the most common questions even the most prolific leaders, successful people, ask.

If you do, too, it's time to elevate your ideas, attitude, conversations, and expectations.

Once you get clear on what do you want and how that gets to look like, I invite you to give yourself permission to unsubscribe from the conventional noise-making and trying to one-up the perceived competition. The only competition is that starting back at you in a mirror.

Give yourself permission to stay in your lane and stop engaging in fearmongering strategies and tactics, and dare to trust that your potential is limitless once you allow yourself to unleash your Divine intuition & wisdom.

Business is complex. Life is complex. Multi-dimensional success is complex.

Neither one is linear, yet each can be simplified, inspired, and intentional once you choose the metrics (and matrix) that truly matters to you, your mission, and your why.

This is when elevating your ideas, attitude, conversations, and expectations around your vision and possibilities for the future of your unique design comes into play.

These are the 5 things that leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and star athletes alike not only understand differently to get better every day, but also embody on a deeper level to inspire intentional living, business, leadership & impact.

Sara

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