I find it almost funny sometimes that athletes think they can put in work 1-2 days a week and be great. Sure, there are some natural athletes with God given talent that were born to throw 98mph. But that is a rarity. If you’re not willing to put the time in, you can’t expect to achieve the results you desire. Not all days are easy and it’s the days that are tough, the ones you have to grind through, that reveal what type of athlete you are.
“When I’d get tired and want to stop, I’d wonder what my next opponent was doing. I’d wonder if he was still working out. I tried to visualize him. When I could see him still work, I’d push myself harder.”
– Dan Gable, Wrestler, Olympic Gold Medalist
I think the quote above sums up what truly separates the great athletes from the good ones. If you want to be good, keep working out when you feel like it. Keep working on your pitches, your craft, a day or two a week. When you get tired, just stop and call it a day. That is what an average athlete does.
To become a great athlete and strive towards mastering your craft, you have to put the time in. When you get tired, you push yourself harder. When you don’t feel like working out, you force yourself to workout ten times harder. And when you think you’re a good pitcher, you need to realize there is always someone better. There is always someone out there who is out working you in one way or another.
The hardest part is pushing yourself when others want to stay average. The majority of people don’t truly want to push themselves and want to stop when they start to feel uncomfortable. But the ones that continue to push themselves harder and harder day in and day out, accomplish results that makes others envious.
So are you going to sleep in or get up and workout? Are you going to put the work and time in to make yourself better or just be satisfied with where you are currently at? When you hit a wall, are you going to turn around or figure out how to get through it? I would hope you figure out a way to grind it out.
Effort and work ethic. That is the difference between being good and becoming great.