Thursday, May 19, 2016
Book Review - Training Camp
This week, I read a great book by Jon Gordon titled Training camp. It’s a fable about achieving excellence and what it takes to be the best. The story follows an undrafted player attempting to make a NFL team and the mentoring he receives along the way. It had an emotional ending so be prepared to get a little misty or experience an allergic reaction to something in the air.
I loved the eleven traits on being the best of the best.
- The Best know what they truly want.
- The Best want it more.
- The Best are always striving to get better.
- The Best do ordinary things better than everyone else.
- The Best zoom-focus.
- The Best are mentally stronger
- The Best overcome their fear.
- The Best seize the moment.
- The Best tap into a greater power than themselves
- The Best leave a legacy.
- The Best make everyone around them better.
All the rules had meaning. For me traits 4 and 11 had the most impact on my understanding of the book. By doing ordinary better than everyone else you are raising the bar and being more consistent in your performance. There is no cruising when you want to be the best. You have to keep pushing to improve. Trait 11 is something we tend to overlook. As an American, I have been brought up that it’s your individual accomplishment that gets your rewards. When in fact by helping others get better you achieve more rewards because now you can tap into the group synergy.
I would highly recommend any reading of John Gordon. I have read three of his books the last few months and every one of them have been captivating. I am glad one of my employees (Jordyn Denham) recommended my first book “The No Complaining Rule” by him. That book was so good we rolled that program out in the PSL department.
I had the opportunity to eat brunch at the Wicked Spoon today. This buffet is located in the Cosmopolitan here in Las Vegas. The food was awesome and the staff was very attentive. I loved how they portioned the food out so you got a taste of something without the chance of excessive waste. There was a wide range of items to choose from and the ice cream was to die for.