Recently, I came across a motivational pregame speech that Jimbo Fisher, the head football coach of the Florida State Seminoles, delivered to his team right before facing Georgia Tech in the playoffs. Although I attend the University of Florida (UF) and place the Gators on a higher pedestal than the Seminoles, I highly respect Jimbo as a head coach as he led the Seminoles to an impressive 29-game winning streak. As a Jimbo fan, one part of his speech really stood out to me:
Don't try to be the hero. Heroes are guys who do their job consistently every day. They do the right thing over and over.
I highlight this line because overestimating oneself's ability is all too common, and its consequences are devastating. Inconsistency leads to poor planning, hinders effective teamwork, and ultimately leads to poor execution. In the context of football, Jimbo is emphasizing that consistent, well-planned plays almost always trump sporadic, risky plays (i.e. "hero" plays). While this principle certainly applies to football, I believe it can be extrapolated to other aspects of life. Let me give you an example.
You have a difficult exam one week from today and want to receive an optimal grade on it. You have two options: (A) study everyday starting today, or (B) start studying the day before. If you choose (A), you receive a better grade with the risk of losing time due to studying. If you choose (B), you save time with the risk of receiving a worse grade. What do you do?
A common mistake is to try to be the hero for the ideal outcome: receiving a good grade while saving a substantial amount of time. However, as you may know, this is a recipe for failure as the formula for success is time plus concentrated effort. Hence, to receive an optimal grade, choose the consistent option (A) rather than the hero option (B).
But, perhaps saving time or being clutch isn't the underlying reason for your inconsistency. Maybe you don't like the feeling of sacrifice. Maybe you feel incompetent because you unfairly compare yourself to veterans. Maybe you're a perfectionist and can't stand the failures that inevitably occur during routine practice (raises hand).
Whatever your reason, press on. Think about something you do well and reflect upon what it was like to be a beginner. If it's riding a bicycle, think about how many times you fell before you got it. If it's catching a football, think about how many times you dropped the ball before you could catch it almost every time. Whatever it may be, I bet you can say fairly confidently that you became great not by trying to be the hero, but by leaving your ego at the door and partaking in dedicated, constructive practice.
Sacrifice, be consistent, and, one day, you might just become that hero.