Former Pro Basketball Player Breaks Down Mental Toughness
Former Pro Basketball Player Breaks Down Mental Toughness
What does it require to change thinking patterns and habits?
To change our thinking, we must become conscious of what is usually unconscious. About 85% of our thoughts are subconscious, meaning we aren't aware of the thoughts running through our minds or the habits we are engaging in. The first step is to become aware of these patterns, which requires mental effort. Thinking is a task; it doesn’t just happen automatically. If you want to change your thoughts, you have to think about what you're thinking, and that requires work.
Most people don't change because they are mentally and physically lazy. It’s easier to stay the same than to put in the energy needed to make adjustments. This reflects the law of inertia. To change, we need to be conscious of our thoughts. Ask yourself: What am I thinking right now? Why am I reacting this way? Why am I feeling this emotion? What caused this feeling, thought, or behavior?
These questions can be challenging because the answers often involve deeply ingrained habits. Even when we become aware of these habits, we might still resist changing them. However, awareness gives us the opportunity to make a choice—whether to keep, alter, or replace a habit. This process demands significant mental energy and attention. Most people never even reach the point of awareness, let alone the point of making changes.
What are common mistakes business owners make?
A million-dollar question - How do I know when to keep pushing something that isn't working versus when to walk away and try something else? This is a fundamental question in life and business because we only get one shot.
The first thing I’d tell someone in this position, especially in business, is that you don’t need genetics to succeed; you need the right strategy. So, where are you getting your information? If something isn't working, maybe you have an inaccurate formula. You might think you need to do A, B, and C, but actually, you need to do D, E, F, G, and H. This is a case of unconscious incompetence—you don’t know what you don’t know. Sometimes, you just need to connect with someone who has the right information. When you follow their guidance instead of your own, things may start to work better.
For example, before I started playing basketball, I played baseball. I went to practice every day and did everything I was told, but I had no talent for it. My ceiling was being a mediocre high school player. If I had stuck with baseball just to avoid being a quitter, we wouldn't be having this conversation now. I knew I wanted to play sports, but baseball wasn’t the right path for me. I switched to basketball, and things started to work. Sometimes, you are simply in the wrong place with the wrong strategy.
The good news in 2024 is that people with the right information and processes make themselves accessible. Back in the '90s, you had to hope you had the right information, and if not, you were out of luck. Now, it's all available; you just have to plug into it.
How can business owners decide when to pivot or persist?
A need to decide where one wants to go and what one’s desired outcome is. If you knew you weren't going to make money playing basketball, you put that aside. You may have still played for fun or watched games, but you knew you wouldn't dedicate your life to it because your goal was to make money. If basketball wasn't the way, you had to find the right vehicle to achieve that goal.
In my field, I have something called the "12 Work on Your Game Commandments." One of them is finding the right vehicle to get where you want to go. Many people, especially athletes, become stubborn and stick with something even when it's clear it won't work out. They don't know when to walk away in strength. Walking away in strength means recognizing something isn't going to work, deciding it's not for you, and choosing a different path. Many athletes I’ve talked to over the years didn’t know when to do that, even when the writing was on the wall.
When they hear my story, they think, "If Dre could keep trying and make it work, so can I." While persistence is important, it's not always the answer. There’s a fine line between pushing forward and knowing when to pivot.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
