I’ve made a huge change, let me explain…

Do you ever look back in your life and think back to when you were just crushing it? 

Whether that was your work, your personal goals, fitness, etc 

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve found myself getting complacent at times...

After hitting some personal / professional goals I had set out for myself, I felt out of sync for some reason. I thought to myself, shouldn’t I be happy? I’m doing great! I did everything I wanted to do! Yet, this weird feeling lingered for about two months, until I realized what was happening...

It wasn’t the end goal that I sought after. 

I missed the PROCESS. 

The routine. 

Waking up early, full of energy excited to WORK toward my goals. 

The only problem now was that I didn’t have any goals. No new boxes to cross off.

Everything came full circle for me when the news of Kobe Bryant broke. It truly opened my eyes. I thought about Kobe’s career and his life. 

You’d think Kobe would get complacent too. This was a man that was at the peak of his career. But this is the same guy who would be in the gym at 4am shooting 800 3-pointers in a row, all after winning an NBA game. Growing up I idolized Kobe’s greatness. But now as a young professional, I’ve really taken for granted just how amazing this man was. 

I watched a few interviews about Kobe and his mindset. His “Mamba Mentality” and relentless focus on being the greatest. His work ethic was unmatched; you could guarantee he would outwork just about anyone. He never put a cap on himself in terms of what he could achieve. There was always a better version of himself out there that existed, that he was striving to become.

This Mamba Mentality reminded me of the young starry-eyed Nick just graduating university to take on the world. I had so much energy and passion to go out and be somebody. With a chip on my shoulder, to prove to everyone that I wasn’t just a kid. I wanted to make an impact in business, wherever I went. I needed to bring that fire back. 

Given my achievement-oriented nature, what was missing was the fact that I wasn’t achieving anything. After the Kobe news, I wrote down new goals that didn’t have a cap. I needed to take my life to the next level. And I needed to add new / empty checkboxes to my life that needed filling. 

And now, the process is back. The routine. Waking up early. The excitement of growing and getting better.

...I feel like this happens so often with sales reps. You surprise yourself with your ability to hit the massive targets you’ve set for yourself. Then you hit them, and you ask yourself, "Okay now what?"

And you feel out of sync for a while. And it sucks.

So how can you put a stop to this? The key is to not put a cap on yourself.

We should all take on this Mamba Mentality that Kobe has left with us. Even when you think you’re doing amazing, you could always be better. So if you ever find yourself getting complacent, just know, there’s a better version of yourself out there. Somewhere. And you need to go and find them. Don’t be content with your current situation. 

The real joy in life is in the development process. 

The process! Not the final result. 

There in fact, is no final result.

Get better everyday. Catch yourself if you’re faltering off. And bring that relentless focus you once had, as a starry-eyed new grad, a new SDR in your first sales job, or just remember Kobe’s quest for greatness…

Especially in sales. You need to keep achieving. Happiness is derived from the pursuit of happiness. And when you’re back in the process of achievement, your world will align once again....