The Mundanity of Excellence
By Alex Pint
What separates the great from the good and the good from the bad?
On Super Bowl Sunday 2024, we got to witness the epitome of greatness in Patrick Mahomes. While he didn’t have his best game, he maintained his positive attitude and performed when it counted. He wanted it more.
Mahomes had a mic on during the AFC Championship game, giving the audience a fascinating window into his mindset. What we realize is that he’s not saying anything incredibly insightful or brilliant. He simply has relentless focus on the immediate and obvious. Seemingly between every play, he’s reminding his teammates of the only thing that matters: “How bad do you want it?”
As a test prep coach, my job is to create the conditions for my students to be great. The great ones take the advice and run. Others struggle to make progress. Attitude is the difference.
The great don’t see test prep as another obstacle to climb; instead, they view it as a unique opportunity to build their skills. According to Daniel Chambliss (author of The Mundanity of Excellence), “It is incorrect to believe that top athletes suffer great sacrifices to achieve their goals. Often, they don’t see what they do as sacrificial at all. They like it.”
The more students like the process, the better they’ll perform. I do my best to motivate students, but at the end of the day, only students who buy in will perform their best.
How bad do you want it?