The 3 Constants of an Elite Performer

Practice just wrapped up — and John didn’t play well.

He grew frustrated during a challenging drill, thought the coach was pushing too hard before the big game, and got into an argument with a teammate about a particular tactic.

After practice, once he’s cooled down, he offers this assessment of the afternoon.

“I’ll be better tomorrow,” he says. “Good learning experience. It was just a bad day for me.”

While this simplistic explanation may hold some truth and may seem fairly rational in the moment, Duke Women’s Basketball Coach Kara Lawson recently said we’re often too quick to offer up these convenient explanations for poor performance.

“You just wasted a day,” Lawson said on her radio show. “You just conceded something really valuable."

To Lawson, performing at the highest level is challenging enough — and there are no guarantees that even the greatest practices and most structured reps and training sessions will lead to success.

But there are three things she feels should be constant for any elite performer:

1. Focus2. Discipline3. Work ethic

“In the game of life, there is an ebb and flow to result and production that is natural,” she said.

“(But) there are certain characteristics and things that should not have an ebb and flow.”

As we prepare for the final week of the year and consider making some resolutions moving forward, we might be wise to apply her advice and not merely capitulate to frustration on the days in which we’re not feeling our best.

It’s these moments that are often most revealing of our character and frequently set the tone for our performance on the biggest stages.

Our focus, discipline and work ethic — or lack thereof — often become the difference between "just a bad day" and a truly elite one.