Show Up and Work Hard

It's a simple concept that takes a lot of discipline. To have the habit of showing up and working hard, you can't be a quitter, you can't write your goals in pencil, you can't do things half-hearted. Once you have this habit, good things will come and it will be a lot easier as time goes on. 

The first step is showing up. This means not being late and not doing it. Being on time is something that you should take pride in because it shows you are dependable and you are respectful. If I ask you to be somewhere at a certain time, I depend on you to show up at that time. For school, for jobs, for sports-being on time is crucial and it could make or break your career path. 

A lot of times we don't even have the discipline of showing up. To where we blow off something completely. Doing this creates a habit. It takes a lot of discipline to get up and go to class. But once you miss one class, you start second guessing yourself to where you think it's okay to miss class. 

You could also be on a strict workout plan and you decide to miss a day of training. Then again you start to second guess yourself, do I really need to workout? I think I'm happy with the way I look. Other people are more out of shape than I am. When in reality, you need to train your body physically so you can be healthy. 

Working hard is the next step. You show up to do a job, and maybe you are thinking, "I'm just going to get through this day and get out." Maybe you are in class and think, "I'm just going to sit here and watch the clock tick down to when it is time to leave." Maybe you have practice and think, "I'm just going to go through the motions because I don't feel like working hard today."

Working hard, is a habit. In everything I do, I have to do work or play hard. I don't know any other way. When I play basketball, I could be playing the top athletes in the world or playing pick up games at a local gym, I'm still going to play hard. If you step on the court with me, you will get my all no matter who you are. 

When you don't work hard, you feel more pressure. You cruise through your job and your boss gives you a big assignment. You feel pressured to do something because you can't handle it. You go through the motions in practice but the day a college coach comes in to watch you practice, you feel the pressure of performing well for this particular practice. You don't do the homework right or you copy from a friend, but then the test comes and you feel pressure because you have no one to help you do the test. 

Tony Snell said it best, "When you work hard, you don't feel pressure."

Tony was a guy you constantly saw in the weight room, the film room, the training room, the basketball court, the study hall. Because he takes everything he does, seriously. He stepped up in big games because of how hard he works. The Chicago Bulls see that in him and see that he will have a successful career. 

He doesn't have a secret formula, it's show up an work hard. The matter of the fact is, are you willing to do that? You see the living proof, showing up+working hard=success. 

Thank you for reading and ANY feedback is much appreciated! 

Chris Perez

You Serve He Protects