A Lot of Small Things Done Well

Ray Lewis was a Florida State Champ in Wrestling

Despite all of the negative attention that has surrounded Ray Lewis's career at times, there are a few things that I like about him.  One is this quote of his that I stumbled upon a few weeks ago: "Greatness is a lot of small things done well, stacked up on each other."  Couldn't have said it better myself.  You do have to sweat the small things if you want to succeed in your sports or fitness endeavors, or anything for that matter.  You do have to think about what you're eating and why at every meal.  You do have to avoid excuses for skipping any workout.  You do have to get a good night's rest every day.  From your pre-match routine to your enthusiasm when working out, everything is important.  You can't waive "one little thing" off as unimportant.

Let's all give this a try: every day, strive to improve 1% in whatever it is you want to be great at.  Or, to make it easier, shoot for a 1% improvement each week.  Doing that alone will make you 50% better in less than a year.  Imagine that - 50% better than you currently are.  It sounds like a lot, just as all great achievements do, but it isn't so daunting when you break it down into 1% chunks.

Another thing I respect about Ray Lewis is his wrestling background.  Lewis, who's starting in tonight's Super Bowl for his very last NFL game, was a Class 4A State Champ at 189 pounds his senior year of high school in Florida, and he credits much of his success as a linebacker in football to wrestling.  He says that the ability to lower his stance has made allowed him to tackle his opponents with ease.  Even though I've never played organized football, I can definitely see how this is true.  Whenever I've played pickup games with friends I've always been able to tackle guys far bigger than myself simply because I know how to execute wrestling takedowns.

If you're a football player and you don't wrestle, you'd better reconsider.  Some college teams don't even consider a recruit for certain positions unless they have some wrestling experience.  The University of Alabama used to require all of their players to work out in the wrestling room during the off-season to enhance their strength, conditioning, and mental toughness.  This link here, NFL Players that wrestled, has a quote from John Madden "I would have all of my offensive lineman wrestle if I could."  The site has several other interesting quotes as well as an extensive list of pro football players who excelled on the mat.

Stack up little things,
Jeff