MM: Discipline and Consistency are key

Seven years ago I saw a young kid show up in Waco to play basketball at Baylor University. He was Quincy Acy - a 6-7, freakishly athletic forward who wasn't as skilled as many other players. His greatest attribute was his work ethic. He worked on his game relentlessly and each year you saw considerable improvement in his skills. During his college career, he saw other players come into the program who were more highly touted who left early for the NBA. Still he worked, and after four years he had won more games than anyone in school history, been part of two Elite 8 teams and was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2012 NBA Draft. He kept working and eventually became a starter for the New York Knicks.

Why?

Because he worked. Every day. The popular mantra today "rise and grind" - that's Quincy Acy. Not the most talented player (although certainly talented), but he outworked those with more natural ability. He leveraged his strengths and built up his weaknesses. Now he's playing at the highest level, while others aren't.

What you can learn from that is that putting in consistent work towards improving yourself or reaching your goals is important. It matters. And it works. That takes discipline, but you can do it.

I'll admit right up front, I struggle with discipline and sometimes consistency. It's something I have to work at very hard. But, even I have found that when I am consistent is when I move forward. And you can too.