We’re in the middle of the NBA Finals and naturally whenever we reach the finality of the NBA season, the name Michael Jordan comes up. It could be his 6 world championships in 6 appearances, his brand influence, or just the fact he’s the GOAT (sorry Lebron lovers). Michael has a wide range of quotes on competitiveness, work ethic, and leadership but one that stands out to me is…
“You can practice shooting 8 hours a day, but if your technique is wrong then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” – Michael Jordan
It’s not uncommon for us to believe we’re working hard but not going anywhere. It’s a frustrating feeling when you’re investing a lot of time and energy, yet the wheels are just spinning. Michael’s perspective gives us an insight into why this may be. Our challenge will be to pause from this constant hard work and energy we’ve traditionally been focused on to then reflect on whether the time and energy is being channeled to where we authentically want to grow and develop.
The traditional statement of putting your head down and getting to work is a false narrative. Yes, getting to work and taking action is important. But first, we must invest time understanding where to channel our time and energy. We can be working hard but spending all our time and energy in the wrong places – in the areas that don’t align with what we’re authentically striving to become. But how will we understand if all our efforts are directionally off base? How will we know what we’re putting our time and energy into is in Jordan’s terms, the wrong technique?
Let’s explore some ideas to understand if our time and energy is being channeled the right way:
- Authenticity: take time to reflect on whether your time and energy invested aligns with what you’re authentically striving for.
- Zoom out: pause and step away from the day to day race we sometimes get caught up in to analyze how we’re spending our precious minutes each day.
- Use your personal board of directors: understand who will give you open and honest feedback and invite in outside perspective.
- Stick to the fundamentals Jordan alludes to: it’s easy to try the quick fix ideas but reality is to make long lasting impact of who you’re striving to be, it takes sticking to the fundamentals of growing each day and the discipline to stay with it.
What else would you add to this list? Add in the comments below.
Take your step: dedicate time to reflect on the past 2-3 days and where you’ve invested your time and energy. Is your time and energy being channeled towards who you’re striving to become? Are you finding time to challenge yourself? Do you have a clear vision of where you authentically want to grow and develop? Take time to reflect and gain perspective of how your time and energy aligns with who you’re authentically striving to become.