“Work ethic eliminates fear!”: How Michael Jordan’s iron-clad rule made him the best

Michael Jordan was a warrior during his time. It was the fire inside him that helped him conquer the league and he had one iron-clad rule. 

If you have heard about the legend of Michael Jordan, you know that the man will go to all lengths to win. He was a winner. Period. He never lost a finals game in his life and the reason behind it is fairly simple.

While most of us obsess over the mechanics of shots, tactics, and team play, for Michael the reason he used to win day-in and day-out was down to the fact that he was working. That’s it.

Michael Jordan’s love or rather outlook on practicing was far different from the rest of the players. In an interview, he dives deep into why it is necessary for him. To practice with Mike was like playing a game.

When the interviewer asks why he takes it so seriously, he gives a rather simple answer, but first, he takes us all the way back to when he was drafted.

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Michael Jordan’s work instinct was injected into him right after getting drafted in 1983

Jordan recalls getting drafted at 3 by Chicago Bulls coach Kevin Loughery. The coach had a habit of plugging him straight into the starting 5.

MJ talks about how the first team would squash the second team in almost all the games, but to make a point, the coach used to move Mike into the second team when they were trailing.

Mike says “okay, you trying to prove a point” and eventually he would lead his team to a comeback. It was from that point on that the Bulls legend took every day in practice as a competition.

He would equate practice to routine, and at that point whatever happens in the game is nothing new to him. He says “whatever happens now, okay I (have) done this before.”

The interviewer then asks the big question, “was a fear of failure a motivator?”

MJ’s response is nothing short of legendary  “I never feared about my skills because I put in the work. Work ethic eliminates fear!” It is a lesson that should resonate with each and every one of us.

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