Article By: Tim S. Grover “Author of the national bestseller RELENTLESS: From Good to Great to Unstoppable” Tim Grover is the CEO of ATTACK Athletics, Inc., founded in 1989. World-renowned for his legendary work with elite champions including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds other NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympic athletes, he is the preeminent authority on the science and art of mental and physical dominance and achieving excellence.
Itâs only one game.
Itâs only the preseason.
Itâs only practice.
Itâs only a mistake.
Itâs only an idea.
That small wordââonlyââchanges everything. Same for the word âjustâ: It was just one donut, just one missed workout, just one drink. Itâs just a job. As a Coach to me it all translates into: This isnât that important, and donât hold me accountable if things donât go right.
Now lets see how one work makes a difference…… Remove the “only” of the “just” out of the previous sentences’ / statements and say it again:
Itâs one game. Youâre not getting it back. It mattered.
Itâs the preseason. The work you do now determines whether youâll have a postseason.
Itâs practice. If you canât do it here, you wonât do it in a game.
Itâs a mistake. Do the work to make sure you donât repeat it.
Itâs an idea. Everything starts with an idea. Donât be afraid to develop and try new concepts.
Iâll give you a few more:
âGood enoughâ rarely is.
âItâs fine.â Two meanings:
- When you hear this from your coach or boss, pay attention: It means âThanks, Iâll get someone else to do it right.â
- When you hear it from a teammate, pay attention: It means he canât or wonât do better.
And my favorite:
âWhatever.â I donât really know what this means, but I hear it a lot from people who want to stop a conversation because theyâre afraid to hear the truth.
Believe me, this isnât a grammar lesson…..âŚitâs a mental toughness lesson. As soon as you minimize the importance of something, you minimize your chances of success.
How many things in your life would be different if you âonlyâ studied harder or if they âjustâ gave you one more chance, if the effort you put in was great instead of âgood enough,â or instead of saying âwhateverâ you went out and fixed whatever needed fixing.
Hereâs where those words work: You have âjustâ one life, and âonlyâ you can live it. It is âwhateverâ you make of it. Is that âgood enoughâ for you? Are you âfineâ with that?
Professor Al Hogan is a recent inductee in the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame (2024) and a two time IBJJF Masters World Champion and Pan American Champion. He is renowned for his expertise in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Defensive Tactics Instruction, catering to the Jiu Jitsu enthusiast, law enforcement, military and security personnel.
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