Reach for the Summit

"Here’s how I’m going to beat you . I’m going to outwork you. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. You’ve just learned my most valuable secret. It’s not that exciting, I know. You were hoping for some mystery, or witchcraft. The problem is, there is no great intangible quality to success. It’s not a gift people are born with, or a touch, or a talent, or a knack. It’s a simple matter of putting your back into it ...But I can tell you this: The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender. Tennessee wins because, in the end, our players feel they have worked too hard not to.” -Pat Summitt

If anyone doesn't know who Pat Summitt is she holds the record for the most all-time wins for a coach in NCAA basketball history and has never had a losing season in her 38 years of coaching. If anyone knows anything about success it would be her. Recently, I have started reading her book on success called Reach for the Summit, where she talks about the concept of outworking the competition. 

How simple, yet powerful, of an idea it is. Imagine going out to any race against any competitor, and already knowing that you have put in more meters, more work, and more time than they have. Imagine the confidence you would gain by knowing you have trained harder. 

Effort dictates results. What are you doing today that your competition field hasn't began to do? Or better yet, what are they doing that you're NOT? Figure it out, and change it now. If something is going to separate you from the competition do not let it be under working. Think about last season and use it as motivation. If you didn't do as well as you thought you could; step it up, if it was your best season yet; get working again to make next years' even better. 

Last season is over and everyone is in fair game for the next one. Time to get going and start working before your competition does, because trust me, I know I already have.