How a Winners Mentality Can Help You Excel in What You Love

Whether you’re into sports or not, we as a society were blessed to witness greatness for 20 years.

We were taught how we too could be great.It’s the small things day after day that lead to the big results.

If you were like me growing up, your room was plastered from wall to wall with posters and clippings of your heroes.

The purple and gold covering my walls served as a beacon to me that I had the ability to become something special.

1996 is when Kobe was introduced into my life.

I remember opening up a pack of Tops basketball cards and was ecstatic to receive his rookie card.

20 years later, he has still played a significant influence in my life regardless.

I always thought I was going to be in the NBA, but over time I realized that my skill set didn’t match my passion for the game.

However, I discovered similar parallels that connect someone as great as Kobe to the everyday creative like you and I who aspires to be great and make a living doing what we love.

You may not think that his illustrious career could have any overlap of what you are trying to accomplish with your creativity; but my friend, you are mistaken.

Here are 17 things Kobe’s career can teach you as a creative pursuing your craft.

1. Sacrifice

In order to be great at something, there has to be ample time in order to practice and execute.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day but the true greats master their craft because they make time through sacrifice.

You have to be willing to lose sleep, miss parties and lose friendships in order to make it possible to do what you love for a living.

The people who stick around are the ones that matter.

2. Tenacity

Motivation comes from within.

You cannot depend on someone else to fuel your hustle.

Having a relentless motor to show up each day is how you will reach the goals you set for yourself.

3. Hard Work

Nothing worth having in life comes easy and you cannot expect anything to be handed to you.

There is no greater feeling than knowing you invested your blood, sweat and tears in order to earn something.

You should take pride in your ability to do the work when many are not willing.

BE GREAT: 17 LESSONS KOBE’S CAREER CAN TEACH YOU AS A CREATIVE

4. Love of the Process

Everyone wants to win the championships or land the big clients, however, not many people are in love with performing the tedious details that take place behind the scenes.

In order to be great, you have to love the nitty gritty moments when no one is watching.

It’s the small things day after day that lead to the big results.

5. Love of Being Hated

When you pursue something long enough and dedicate yourself to it, there will be people who will disagree with you.

There will be people who don’t want to see you succeed and they will do what they can to bring you down.

Understand that when you receive scrutiny, it means you’re doing something right.

If someone can hate your work and what you stand for, then someone can love you too.

6. Dealing with Setbacks

Failing and making mistakes is necessary on the road to success.

The true greats realize that a setback is just a setup for a comeback and that everything is a learning opportunity.

It’s how you respond to the adversity that shows the true test of your character.

7. How to be a Winner

When you get a taste of victory, how do you respond?

A true winner responds with class as they remember what it was like to lose.

They cherish that moment but they don’t dwell on it because there is always room to improve.

A true winner craves a deeper hunger for more victories as winning once isn’t satisfying enough.

8. How to be a Loser

The most important takeaway in life is that you will be a loser in something. What’s the point if you always win?

The struggle is necessary and you have to lose in order to appreciate when things go right.

Take the loss in stride and seek the learning opportunity masked within defeat. Be the right kind of loser and you will surely transform into a winner.

9. Competing Against Yourself

To be great, you must demand more of yourself each day.

You’re always told to compete with others but the true growth lies in competing with yourself.

How much can you improve?

How can you push yourself to the next level?

Can you look back on old work and say you’ve progressed or is your progress stagnant?

Competing with yourself is the catalyst to becoming great at what you do.

10. Persistency

Becoming great takes time and you must push forward despite difficulties and opposition.

Understand that nothing happens overnight and success comes when you show up each day, even when you see no measurable progress or results. Being persistent will pay off to those who invest the time.

11. Fearlessness

There is no growth within your comfort zone as you provide the most powerful value to yourself and the world where you are most afraid.

You can’t be afraid of the big moment.

Not being prepared will fill you with regret as the moment of opportunity passes and all you're left with “What ifs” and “I wishes.”

12. Dealing with Pressure

The ball won’t always bounce your way and your shots won’t always go in.

So how do you respond when you’re under the gun and working with tight deadlines?

The greats welcome the pressure.

They invite the challenge knowing that’s when they will perform the best.

When crunch time comes around, are you a clutch creative or will you fold?

13. Establishing a Routine

Successful people live a life of patterned rituals.

They live within a routine that allows them to operate at peak performance without having to think about what’s next.

When you know in your schedule that this is the time you write or draw every day, you don’t need to second guess.

You just show up and get it done because it’s just something you do as you normalize it.

"Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise." - Kobe Bryant

14. Believing in Yourself

How can you amount to anything if you don’t have faith in yourself and your abilities?

People can’t want it for you, you have to want it for yourself.

Knowing deep down inside that you have what it takes to be great is a powerful feeling that most people will never experience.

Realize that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

15. Having a Vision

Understanding what you want in life and how you will get it is a true sign of a great leader and great creative.

Having clarity on something you want to accomplish allows you to channel your focus and eliminate distractions.

16. One Day at a Time

This is a daily mental note to myself. Don’t get distracted on focusing where you want to be as it’s easy to get discouraged because you’re not there yet.

Place your focus on how you can improve and get better each day.

Trust that showing up with intense intention will get you to the end results.

17. Be Prepared

When opportunity meets preparation, success can be found.

Yet you can expect a poor performance with improper preparation.

To be great, prepare yourself for every scenario; good or bad.

Be ready to make the most of your opportunity when it arrives.

Key Takeaways

Motivation comes from within—you can’t depend on someone else to fuel your hustle
Nothing worth having in life comes easy
It’s the small things day after day that lead to the big results
If someone can hate your work and what you stand for, then someone can love you too.
A setback is just a setup for a comeback
Competing with yourself is the catalyst to becoming great at what you do
People can’t want it for you, you have to want it for yourself
Show up with intense intention
There is no growth within your comfort zone

Be Great

It’s amazing what one individual’s career can teach you about yourself.

You have greatness within you.

You have to understand what it is you want in life and what are you willing to do to make it happen.

Be great and enjoy the work you do.

Thank you for the 20 years of life experiences Kobe, you will be missed in this game.

17 Lessons Kobe’s Career Show Creatives How to Be Great