What separates champions from everyone else?
Is it raw talent? Drive? Luck?
The truth is, champions have a mindset wired differently. They don’t just think positively or negatively; they think neutrally.
They don’t make excuses.
They behave as if they have no choice but to succeed.
And while this might sound intense, adopting a champion’s mindset can change everything about how you approach your goals.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve come across on this topic came from Trevor Moawad's It Takes What It Takes.
Moawad's insights center on the concept that champions make detailed plans, visualize their outcomes, and lead themselves before they lead others. But here’s the standout: champions behave as if they have no choice. And if you really commit to that idea, you’d be amazed at the results you can achieve.
Interested or Committed?
I’ve often talked about the difference between being interested in something and being committed to it.
If you’re just interested in achieving a goal, you give yourself all kinds of excuses: “Maybe I’ll start tomorrow,” or “I don’t feel like it today.”
But when you’re committed, you don’t even consider alternatives. It’s not a matter of if you’ll do it but how you’ll make it happen.
(Pro tip: Just remove the word "if" from your vocabulary.)
Consider this: last week, my business received a massive, unexpected rush order that had to be fulfilled overnight. My team wasn’t prepared, but we all rolled up our sleeves and got it done. There were no excuses.
We could have easily told the client it would take longer or found reasons why it couldn’t happen, but that’s not how champions think. Champions push through. They know that when they commit, giving up isn’t an option.
Excuses are the Tools of the Incompetent
I’ve had a motto drilled into me since college that goes, “Excuses are tools of the incompetent.”
If you’re looking for a way out, excuses will always be there. You could say, “It’s too rainy for my morning run,” or “I don’t feel my best.”
But if you want to adopt the champion’s mindset, you have to ignore those excuses and get it done anyway. Champions push excuses out of their brains and stick to their commitments.
Going the Extra Mile
But thinking like a champion isn’t just about doing the bare minimum. Champions have that drive to go above and beyond because they know that’s where real success lies.
Kobe Bryant, for instance, famously practiced for hours daily. Not because he “had to,” but because it was part of his DNA to improve constantly.
That’s how champions operate: they don’t just complete the task; they master it.
Making It Non-Negotiable
In my fitness program, I coach middle-aged guys who might be far from their prime shape, helping them make fitness a daily, automatic routine. Just like brushing your teeth or having breakfast, champions put essential tasks into their non-negotiable “do-it-no-matter-what” bucket. They know what they need to do and stick to it daily, without question.
So ask yourself, are you ready to make that switch?
If you want to achieve the big goals, think like a champion. Act like you have no choice but to succeed. Remove excuses from your toolkit, and go that extra mile every day.
Champions don’t just think or dream. They act with unshakeable commitment, and that’s how they make their mark on the world.
You are a champion. So act like one.
Listen to the full podcast episode where Justin King and I discuss this concept here.
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