Michael Jordan : I failed, that is why I succeed

I love this quote from Michael Jordan, as it speaks to “Deliberate Practice”, a topic I wrote about yesterday, focussed on golf and Ben Hogan, as well as looking to prompt readers to consider where they are deliberate in what they do, whether it be in their personal life or at work, in what they do personally or what they guide and lead their people to do.

So, to “MJ” or #23". Oh, and I’ll come back to that quote at the end of this post to reflect on perhaps his greatest success.

Who is Michael Jordan ? Simply the greatest basketball player of all time. Hmm.. my sons love basketball, and my oldest son Alex is constantly ribbing me with highlight reels to make his point that LeBron James is actually the “GOAT” (the Greatest Of All Time), when he knows as well as I do that Michael Jordan, the original #23, is THE GOAT. #Endof. I smile at such moments as I reflect that I gave him the middle name… Jordan !

So, back to “Deliberate Practice”. I know I have always had this in me, I find something to focus upon and love to work hard to improve. At 15 it was golf, then when I was 17 I was at my last year of high school and two huge (6'8" at least!) pro players came to teach us. I was hooked ! For several years from that age my own focus of deliberate practice and still the sport I love to play the most was Basketball.