3 Layers of Success

After watching basketball players develop for over 20 years now, I’ve been able to watch the patterns of players who succeed and who comes up short. When asked the question of what does it take to be successful, or more specifically how to reach your potential, I think of the three layers.

Layer 1:

You play on your team, but nothing outside of the team.

Layer 2:

You play on your team and you also workout with a trainer.

Layer 3: 

You play on your team, workout with your trainer, and also workout on your own.

Watching patterns of players, it’s the players who reach Layer 3 who are successful and reach their potential. Level 1 and 2 players can have success temporarily, but they will never reach their potential and they will eventually hit a wall.

I could potentially add another layer to this. Level 4 would be the Level 3 players who work smarter, not just harder. Working out on your own but focusing on the wrong skills or without intensity will only get you so far. Players who workout on their own with purpose and intensity will always go the furthest in the game.