Success Formula

One day on a mountain. A hiker slipped and fell off the edge of a cliff. He grabbed a root as he fell and hung on for dear life. As he was dangling there he began yelling for anyone to help. After a while, a voice answered and offered to assist. The hiker felt so relieved. The voice from above told the hiker to trust them and do exactly as they instructed.The hiker in need said, “YES, ANYTHING!” The voice above replied, “First, just let go of the root.” The hiker paused, then said, “Is anyone else up there?”

Have you ever seen very clearly, exactly what someone needs to do? Have you ever felt frustrated watching someone you care about make the same mistakes over and over? Have you ever held back telling them the simple solution to their problems? Maybe because you know they will be offended that you think you know a better way? Or maybe they just won’t take action? Or maybe they will stubbornly keep doing the same thing they’ve always done? I have studied champions at every level, and a few things have become obvious. I have put together the 7 essential steps to success. You may say you want success, but the cost is letting go. Trusting someone to coach you. And sticking to the plan. Few do it. I hope you are one of the few.

1. Simplicity Wins

Do you know what John Stockton and Steve Nash had in common? Yes, they are both undersized point guards. Yes, they both were amazing passers, shooters and leaders.But both of their coaches told me they knew what they were good at, and what they were not good at. Both of these All-Stars stuck to their strengths and didn’t try to do things they couldn’t do. To be successful, know what you do well. Become GREAT at something. You have to let go of distractions, eliminate good things, and become laser focused on your highest leverage opportunities. We rarely see this clearly ourselves, so we need an expert to tell us what to let go and where to dig our fingers deep.

2. Stretch Yourself

What goal have you set that makes uncomfortable to share? If you set a goal that is easily attainable, you will NEVER maximize your gifts. Set a goal that makes people roll their eyes. Set a goal that is shocking with its audacity. Set a goal that would be miraculous if it was achieved. Only then are you on the path less traveled. Then you will be so stretched that you will guarantee success. You were made to climb mountains, conquer things, and build something where nothing existed before.

3. Measurement is Magic

You are wasting your effort. Think of the last time you went into the gym to shoot some hoops… Let me guess - you didn’t have a plan, you didn’t know what you were improving, you didn’t pick a technique to improve, you didn’t pick a spot, a footwork, a distance or a speed to shoot at. You didn’t measure your takes or your makes. You don’t know exactly what percentage you shot. You just shot and hoped that shooting would help you make more shots in the future.You probably also feel frustrated you aren’t improving as fast as you’d like. You probably also struggle with confidence. You probably also wish you knew the shooting secrets that best shooters know. Most people don’t measure their workouts. The secret to improving faster is tracking time, makes or competing against a partner. Write down your scores, and BEAT YOU YESTERDAY. If you are not measuring your daily improvement, you are surely not realizing your full potential.

4. Define the Victory

Not all goals are created equal. In fact, most goals people set are hindering their progress. Too often we observe an outcome and allow that to determine whether we improved or not. FALSE! That’s why I teach VICTORY as a pillar of being a SAVI coach or player. Goals are often future focused and outcome driven. Goals are about what you DO. A victory is about who you are. Your victories are definitions of being, not of doing. A clearly defined victory will direct energy towards achievable action. It will energize your activity daily. Make sure your victories are specific and measurable. A victory is defined by whether you did it or not, regardless of the outcome. Take a look at this video, I apply the concept of defining a victory to rebounding roles in the LockLeft defense. High clarity leads to high performance. Define the VICTORY and performance will improve.

5. Dream Board

I had always dreamed of being a professional basketball player. After graduating college I went to a showcase and there was an NBA assistant there watching. I asked him what I needed to achieve my dream of becoming a pro. He asked me if I had written down my dream and looked at it every day. I said no, I had not done that. He told me he didn’t believe I was serious and I’d never achieve my dream without having it written down. The next day, I showed up and ran up to him with my journal and my written dream. He asked if I had formulated my daily plan to achieve that dream and executed that plan consistently. I was taken aback. I said, no, I just wrote down my dream last night. He said that I’d never achieve my dream if I didn’t have my plan written down and practice it daily. This is what prompted me to create my dream board every three months. Over the past decade I have adjusted my dreams, but everything I have written down has happened. I write it down. I read it daily. I plan for it. It happens. What is your dream? Do you have it written? Do you read it daily? Do you have a plan? Do you wonder why it hasn’t happened?

6. Daily Plan

Since we just referenced having a plan… I want to help you start simply. Remember, SIMPLICITY WINS. Never start your day before you finish it on paper. Have you ever finished your day, having been so busy, but feeling like you didn’t get anything done? Never let the urgent get in the way of the important. Never let your lesser desires get in the way of your greater desires. Planning your day will ensure that you keep the main thing the main thing, that you build your day around your biggest dream and that you do the hard things first.Show me your calendar and I’ll tell you what you care about. Show me your screen time and I’ll tell you what you think about. Show me your bank account and I’ll tell you what you invest in.

7. Adversity Strengthens

Someone cuts you off in traffic. How do you feel? You wait on hold for 30 minutes for customer service then they have to transfer you. How do you feel? Your computer crashes and you lose a project you spent the last two hours on. How do you feel? The way we feel when hit with tough things is a product of our core beliefs. We are hardwired to seek comfort and avoid adversity. Humans work so hard to avoid pain because of a faulty belief. What if we chose to believe that ADVERSITY STRENGTHENS as opposed to adversity hurts?Could you welcome challenge if you knew it would make you stronger, better or teach you a lesson? Anyone with big dreams will hit big adversity. If you adopt a belief that everything happening to you is actually happening for you, then you will blast through the obstacles that derail most people. Open your arms and lean into problems as opposed to turning and running from them. You’ll be amazed at the opportunities that appear.

I am committed to these 7 steps. When I'm not consistent with them, I find myself lacking clear focus. When I don’t follow the formula, I don’t get traction and just spin my wheels. I want impact, not just activity. This is the way.

I’m here to help,

Tyler