Michael Jordan started elementary school in a racially segregated classroom. He went on to win 6 NBA championships and amass a net worth of $3.8 billion.
How does a kid from such a difficult background become an icon? To find out, I picked up Michael Jordan: The Life.
Loving to Win, or Hating to Lose?
Michael Jordan loved to win. But perhaps even more, he hated to lose.
In his freshman year of high school, Michael didn’t make varsity. That disappointment gave him incredible motivation.
“Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it, and that usually got me going again.”
Humans tend to respond more powerfully to losses than gains. When Michael used failure to motivate himself, he tapped into a powerful tool.
Take my work as an angel investor. When I see a startup become highly successful and I don’t own a piece, I seethe.
I don’t want to be consumed by negativity. But a dose of it as motivation does wonders.
The Power of Rest
“You have to have other things in your life or the pressure becomes too great.” – Phil Jackson
Jackson pushed the Bulls to practice hard and play to win. But he also made sure they had plenty of down time.
Throughout the Bulls’ six championships in the 90’s, no one worked harder than Michael. But rest also played a critical role in his career.
MJ spent endless hours practicing at the Berto Center. But he also spent a lot of time playing cards and hole after hole of golf.
His gambling on these games became a scandal in 1993. But without hobbies to distract him, Michael might have cracked under the pressure.
Like Michael, I try to build rest into my week. From sundown Saturday to sundown Sunday, I try to avoid any form of work.
Instead, I take long walks, catch up with friends and family, and just relax.
Come Sunday night, I’m excited to dig into my e-mails. I also have a few ideas on how to do my job better.
Being in the Moment
Phil Jackson had players meditate in the dark for 30 minutes each practice. His goal was to train them to be present in the moment.
If they were intently focused during practice and games, they had the best chance to win. And in their off hours, being in the moment let them escape the pressure.
We can only have an effect on the present moment. That’s where we need to focus.
But holy cow, is it hard!
I try to meditate most days. But I’m not always consistent.
When I haven’t meditated for a while, I feel mentally scattered. My focus wavers.
Seeing how much meditation did for Michael and the Bulls, I’m going to make it a higher priority.
Wrap-Up
If you want to understand top performers, read Michael Jordan: The Life.
Extraordinary people like Michael Jordan aren’t well balanced. Love of the game drove Michael. But so did anger, grievance and shame.
I plan to keep using the fear of failure to motivate myself. But I also want to emulate Michael in other ways.
I want to make sure I rest and relax. And I want to be present in the moment, focused.
No matter what you do, you can learn from Michael Jordan.
What has MJ taught you?
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