A Question Based Life with Donovan Mitchell
We are the result of both the questions we ask AND how we answer them. Asking good questions consistently signals thoughtfulness but the way we answer them also impacts the course our life takes.
Even if you and I asked the same question, we’d likely answer it very differently. That’s not bad since many of these questions don’t have one “right answer.” So I thought it would be fun to deconstruct the lives of different individuals in the spotlight (athletes, entrepreneurs, politicians, historical figures) and look at questions they might have asked based on the path their life took.
I decided to test this concept out on NBA all-star, Donovan Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell is a 4x NBA All Star who took the Jazz to the second round of the playoffs in his rookie year and just resurrected the Cavaliers leading them back to the playoffs in his first season in Cleveland.
Mitchell is an unquestionable star now but even he had doubts as a young high school player.?
Here’s five questions Mitchell answered along his journey that helped him become the person he is today and can help you in your own journey of becoming.
?WHO ARE YOUR PEOPLE?
"I keep a small—a very, very, very small circle. It's just me and my mom and my sister."
Like most teens, Mitchell had moments where he tested boundaries and acted up. One time his mom noticed he was acting out of character and she tried to get him back in line. He brushed it off before she finally said, "Just be careful, God has a way of leveling things out."
A week later, Mitchell broke his wrist. He missed the rest of the baseball season, as well as the AAU basketball summer circuit.
"That injury changed my outlook on everything," Mitchell says. "It wasn't like I was a jerk or an assh--e, but I had to learn to appreciate things a little more. After I broke my wrist, that's when I learned."
We need people in our lives willing to step in and help us see our blind spots. Do you have people in your life willing to say the hard thing—the thing you may not want to hear? Do you listen when they speak?
?HOW WILL YOU MEASURE YOUR LIFE?
“More than anything, I want to have a lasting impact. One thing that I know just from my own personal experience is that this is bigger than basketball. My legacy has to be more than that.”
Whether you’re on a path to becoming an NBA superstar, a doctor, or any other professional, you will be confronted with the most important question of all—how will you measure your life? Are you using metrics important to you or relying on others to determine those metrics for you?
?WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE?
“An empty gym was my sanctuary. I used to go and shoot by myself at like one, two o’clock in the morning. On Friday nights when everybody was going to parties, I’d be in my little zone, headphones on, shooting from the rack.”
What are the things that everyone else is doing??
Netflix?
Buying the latest piece of technology?
Sleeping in?
Mitchell was at the gym by himself. Sometimes the road to becoming who you want will be filled with moments of loneliness.
?HOW WILL YOU KNOW YOU’RE READY?
“I’m sitting there on December 31, 2016, wondering if I was good enough, wondering if basketball was really worth it anymore.”
Mitchell was set on returning for his junior year at Louisville and it wasn’t until he had a chance to get some runs in with veteran players like Chris Paul and Paul George that he realized he was ready.
"I never give myself enough credit. But then Paul [George] and CP [Chris Paul] told me, 'You could be pretty good.' And I thought, maybe. Then they started breaking my game down, the way I played, and that gave me a different sense of confidence: Yeah, I'm ready for this."?
When you have big dreams, it’s easy to second guess yourself. How will you know you’re ready? One way is to follow Mitchell’s approach and place yourself in the furnace to see whether you can take the heat. Find ways to test yourself. Often we’re more capable than we think.
?WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE?
Money, fame, prestige, and all of the other things that come with success can often change people. Take a look at how Mitchell spent his very first million:
Whether you see yourself as successful now or not, you likely enjoy privileges and advantages now that you didn’t have earlier in life. What have you done with those? Are you proud of how you’ve spent those resources? If not, what would you do differently?
What are some of the questions you have answered along your own journey? Think about how those questions and answers have shaped your life and what questions you want to answer as you consider where you want to be at the end of 2024.