The recent passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter was tragic. Like many of you, it prompted me to learn more about his life and success—both on the court and off. Beyond being an amazing basketball player, he was known to be a great father and coach. It was incredible to hear how his unique philosophy shaped his career and also guided numerous athletes in their journeys. From from Kyrie Irving and Lebron James, to Novak Djokovic, athletes espoused their appreciation for his time and knowledge. He freely mentored those struggling with their game—due to injury or mental setbacks—and helped them transform towards achievement. He wrote about his approach in his book Mamba Mentality. I read it recently and here’s are the main takeaways:
Attack every day: Approach every practice with intensity, focus, and hard work. Your time is precious.
Keep the long game in mind: Set your goals knowing it will take time, and you will have setbacks. You’ll miss shots, look silly at times, but who cares? It’s part of the process of getting better and reaching your goal. So focus on the process and the details, knowing that the journey is the reward.
Cultivate awareness: For someone so competitive and confident, he was extremely self aware about his vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Develop a sense of awareness of your thoughts and feelings to overcome them. If Kobe felt nervous before a game, he would sit and meditate in the stands to help embrace those thoughts rather than ignore them. I think this was really key to his success as a competitor and individual. He never let doubt take over his mindset when it came to dealing and overcoming injuries.
Don’t put limits on what you can achieve: This reflects all the above points, but he was a firm believer in focusing on the process to reach a goal, and to not let others or yourself tell you that you can’t do something. Being aware of that doubt is key.
Embrace challenges and setbacks: Kobe relished them. Even as a rookie, if he was fouled hard while driving to the basket, he wouldn’t back down. Instead, he would drive harder the next play to send a message: I’m not afraid of you. He said he loved the contact and the fact that other players would play harder, more physical, against him. He loved the challenge because it made him better. I think this mindset lets us see solutions instead of obstacles. It helps us embrace challenges instead of backing down when life throws us a curveball.
Those were the main takeaways that I gleaned from his book, and have given me food for thought. How about you—how can you apply the “Mamba Mentality” to your life? Are there any challenges in your life that you have embraced and overcome? What doubts or fears do you face a daily basis that are holding your back? What are your long term goals, and what type of daily work needs to be done to achieve them?