I've written about Victor Oladipo before. The image you see above comes from Oladipo’s trainer, and you can read the caption for yourself. Appreatly, Vic was ready to work on his game immediately after the Pacers were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs Sunday afternoon.

This is news?

I understand that Vic’s trainer -- not Victor himself -- posted this, as he says in his caption, as a method for motivating players. And I believe him. I blame Kanye West for popularizing (at least for this week) posting screenshots of text conversations.

This is the wave in 2018: Show off how hard you work (even better if someone else shares it, so it doesn't appear so self-serving -- or if you’re showing someone else’s dedication for motivational purposes) and how dedicated you must be to success, winning, furry bunny rabbits and everything else positive that the masses will applaud you for. The phrase I’ve heard to describe this is “virtue signaling.”

No shots at Vic’s trainer, in case he reads this. I believe he’s excited to get do what he does, and train an NBA All-Star to get even better than he is. It’s the fact that people ate this up and it had a “Wow” factor that concerns me.

Victor Oladipo signed an $84 million contract over a year ago. He will be paid $21,000,000 (that’s million) for his performance next season. Why is it news that a full-time professional, at any job, is interested in getting better at performing their job? What the hell else is he supposed to be doing?

For Your Game
Working on your game is not an achievement. I did an entire podcast episodes on this. I wake up early every day -- not to impress people with the time I wake up, but to get to doing the stuff that will make me successful by my own measure of success. I work out every morning -- not to show off my body (well, maybe a little bit), but to be healthy and strong and for how it makes me feel mentally and physically. The work is not the goal: The work is a means to the end of a result known as “performance.” The Mirror Of Motivation is about the work.
What’s interesting nowadays, as more and more people approach their marketing with the mindset Oladipo’s trainer had for this post, the opportunity is in not showing everyone every hard-work thing you do. You just show up at the time of performance and kill it, dominate -- and no one had any idea you'd even been practicing. This is more metaphorical that a direct tactic, but think on the idea. Everybody wants to show off their work ethic these days. I’m looking for the person who will show only performance, and leave everyone wondering where the behind-the-scenes footage is -- and there is none (at least not for public consumption).
If you're an athlete in any sport, and the post by Oladipo’s tainer motivated you to get more serious about your game, you need to take a long, hard look at yourself and why you're in the game. Work is part of the job just as filling the gas tank is part of having a car. My Bulletproof Mindset class next Friday will help if you’re in South Florida.

Where have  you seen people showing off the work so much, that they forgot the goal was to produce a result? Have you ever been guilty of it? Reply and share. 

PS- If I were to make Daily Game exclusive for a small fee, say $5/month — would you pay to get it? Would it be worth it for you? Just exploring options. Let me know.

#WorkOnYourGame