2 Mindset Lessons From Arnold and MJ
On improving concentration and mastering the fundamentals
In my continued binging of Founders Podcast, I uncovered 2 golden nuggets on how to achieve world class success.
They’re the importance of Concentration and Fundamentals.
To learn these lessons, we’ll travel to Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach and the ‘92 Olympic Dream Team.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold was 21, had just won Mr. Europe and was preparing to take over the world of bodybuilding.
He needed to expand his opportunity.
So in October 1968, he moved from Austria to Los Angeles with hopes he could train and compete with the best bodybuilders in the world.
But he had doubts.
Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes? Can I keep up with the greats?
These were the type of the questions that surfaced in his mind.
Once he got to Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, the answer was clear: YES
But WHY?
Arnold says the answer was simple.
His competition did not concentrate on their goals and did not concentrate in their workouts. At least not to the level that Arnold did.
Arnold’s goal was to become the best bodybuilder in the world.
He concentrated on it when he woke up, when he trained, when he ate and when he slept.
He stayed focused and the results showed up.
In his first year in the U.S. (age 22), he took 2nd place in Mr. Olympia behind 3x Champion Sergio Oliva.
The next year (age 23), he became the youngest Mr. Olympia Champion in history and went on to win 6 consecutive titles.
Founders Podcast #193 Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Education of a Bodybuilder
Michael Jordan
In the summer after the ‘92 NBA season, the United States Olympic “Dream Team” was assembled.
It was the first Olympics where NBA players were able to participate and it would be Jordan’s first chance to see the other top players in the league up close and personal.
How do they prepare? What are their secrets? What do they focus on?
These were some of the questions in Jordan’s mind as he prepared to share the ball with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing and more.
He was shocked at what he found.
Most players on the team paid no attention to the fundamentals.
They thought they were above practicing footwork, dribbling and passing.
The most basic elements of the game that Jordan continually refined were completely overlooked by guys like Barkley, Malone and Ewing…
Guys that never won Championships.
After the ‘92 Olympics, Jordan went on to win the NBA Championship in ‘93.
After his brief basketball hiatus, he returned to win 3 more consecutive titles from ‘96-’98.
Founders Podcast #213 Michael Jordan: Driven From Within
My Takeaways:
Concentration:
I can concentrate more on everything I want to achieve.
When I ride, I can pay more attention to each pedal stroke, each breath and the continual rhythm of the movement.
And this concept extends well beyond sport.
I can concentrate more on my financial and business goals.
I can think about them more often. I can give them more of my attention.
I can concentrate on my goals and let them marinate into existence.
Fundamentals:
If I want to make progress, I don’t need to look anywhere other than the basics.
Endurance recovery is a clear example.
The fundamentals of recovery are:
managing stress
getting adequate sleep
eating high quality food
staying properly hydrated
It’s tempting to think Normatec boots and ice baths will get me to my goals faster, but that’s really just chasing a quick fix.
Returning to the fundamentals is humbling and challenging.
And that’s why it works.
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