Going All In....

The news of Kobe Bryant shook the world, regardless if you were a fan of basketball. Those that followed his career, his legacy and his work ethic are taking this moment to showcase why he was so impactful on their life. Let me preface by saying, I do not follow the NBA. I knew who Kobe was of course. I know he was absolutely legendary and will go down as one of the greats. However, what I find to be incredible was his constant and never-ending pursuit of greatness. It was more than inspirational. It was downright impactful on me when I started researching the life that he lived.

Quotes, videos, and articles are constantly flowing through my timeline highlighting WHY and HOW he was so great. Yes, Bryant played 57,278 minutes and scored 39,283 points, both ranking fourth in history. By those measures, only Abdul-Jabbar, Malone, and LeBron have been more prolific postseason force, or the fact that he scored 60-plus points in a game six times, second most in league history behind Chamberlain. All those stats make him a great player. But you know what I heard this week? What he did day in, day out, regardless of his God given talent is what separated him from being a great player to being an absolute historical legend. He made a decision early in his life to Go All In.

Despite the challenges, regardless of the barriers, and even through severe injury, he was all in, every. single. day. He practiced earlier, longer and harder than anyone. He knew that in order to be great, he couldn’t just allow his talent to get him there. Early on he said that putting in 1-2 hours of practice a week would make him mediocre. Instead, he put in 4-5 hours a day for almost his entire life. He knew it would take that level of dedication to set himself from others in his league… or better yet create a league of his own. 

Learning about him made me think… well how can I go all in? What does that even mean to the average person that doesn’t have some incredible athletic talent but instead wants to purse greatness in terms of success, happiness and career goals?

The phrase “all in” began as a colloquial expression meaning to be in a bad spot—exhausted, worn out, and spent. In the game of poker, it refers to the moment when a player, whether out of recklessness or desperation, bets all of their chips on a single hand. Thanks to the Texas Hold’em craze, the poker version of the phrase crossed over to general use and, along the way, became stripped to the point of near meaninglessness. Whereas “all in” once referred to a scenario in which someone either wins a hand or loses everything in a flash, to me, it means to be 100% fully committed. Going All In means leaving no stone unturned, leading a life without regret, taking chances, waking up and making use of every minute of the day so when my head hits the pillow, I don’t feel like time was wasted.

Put it this way, my 2020 mantra is now to go all in. 

Why?

When you are going all in, you will inevitably put yourself into a state of 100% focused attention on one single thing.

 No matter what it takes, you are going to push forward. After all, you have no other choice.

There is no alternative waiting for you in the back of your head. No safe haven to return to. No immediate solution that you can follow to fix your situation.

This means that the only thing that will be left on your mind, is how to turn your goal into reality. Eventually, you are going to find a solution.

If you keep looking for one.

Now, I have a lot of goals both personal and professional. Some might think, well you can’t go all in on every single goal. 

Why not?

It’s called focus. It’s called dedication to greatness. It’s being unwilling to settle. It’s committing to the mindset that your goals are non- negotiable and you will get them completed, because there is no other option. 

I am going all in. I am putting myself into a mindset of unshakeable commitment. 

I am turning my fear of failure into my strongest motivator. 

I am using this tragedy as a reminder that time is precious, and we must use it wisely. Push ahead.

Commit to what you want. Dedicate your energy to what truly matters and leave behind the noise and unnecessary burdens that are holding you down or back. No matter what happens, make your unshakeable commitment drive you forward….

This year, I hope you decide to go all in to achieve your own definition of greatness. 

-BCJ