”Potential means you haven’t done anything yet” -Bill Parcells Potential is great. Past success is even better. But once you feel like you’ve arrived and can sit back and chill, your potential & past success mean nothing. Have you ever heard of Ryan Leaf? He had a huge college football career at Washington State, he was a finalist for the Heisman, and he was 2nd overall NFL draft pick in 1998 after Peyton Manning. He had “arrived.” But his performance on the field sucked. He couldn’t stay focused. He threw his work ethic out the window, and on an episode of NFL Top 10, he was ranked No. 1 “Draft Bust.” A more recent example, taking it back home to my Cleveland Browns, is Johnny Manziel. First freshman ever to win a Heisman Trophy. Star athlete through high school and college, breaking numerous records. Drafted by the Browns in 2014, there was a lot of hype about what he’d do for the team. He’d “arrived.” Then two years later, he was gone. Now he plays for some Canadian team that nobody cares about. These are just two examples in the NFL, but it happens in all walks of life. I’ve seen it in business, sports, and even in people’s personal lives. People show up to an opportunity with great potential, but just because the opportunity arrived, it doesn’t mean that the GRIND stops. As soon as the GRIND stops, you become a “Draft Bust.” I want to encourage you not to get yourself hyped up on your past achievements. When you achieve a goal, you better be setting a new, bigger one. When you win a game, get a promotion, or whatever it may be, you can’t lose your hunger for going to the next level. The day you feel like you’ve arrived could very easily be the last day your name has any significance. Stay hungry. Stay GRINDING!

Tonight is Game 3 of the NBA finals & it’s the 4th year in a row that we’re watching my Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Golden State Warriors. Four years in a row where all eyes are on LeBron & Steph Curry. There are 30 teams in the NBA, averaging 14 players each.  That’s over 400 athletes and yet, consistently since 2015, the finals revolve around two names. Why? Consistency. “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” -Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson The fact that it’s been the same two teams for the past four years isn’t the consistency that I’m referring to. That’s just a biproduct of a different kind of consistency. Both LeBron & Steph have been consistently mastering their sport for their entire lives. They’ve steadily led their teams. They’ve regularly shown up to practice, worked out harder, and had a relentless focus on becoming champions. Consistency boils down to discipline. If you’ve got the discipline to show up and go hard at whatever you do, the championships will come. It’s committing to the small daily disciplines that is going to provide you the opportunity to show up at the championship game. Be disciplined. Be consistent. Become a champion.