The Success Secrets: Lesson from HBO Hard Knocks Training Camp with the New York Jets
The Success Secrets can often be found in plain sight right in front of you if you keep your eyes & your mind open to lessons from sometimes unlikely sources. Such is the case with one of the few cable TV shows I currently tape & watch every week: HBO Hard Knocks Training Camp with the New York Jets.
This behind the scenes look at what happens when an NFL team goes through it’s process to get ready for the start of the pro football season has always been a fascinating and enriching experience for me since it’s debut in 2001. Even if you don’t like football, there are incredible life lessons & success secrets to be found in nearly every episode of this sports Emmy winning show. This year’s edition of HBO Hard Knocks Training Camp with the New York Jets is no exception.
In the very first episode about 3 weeks ago, head coach Rex Ryan addressed the New York Jets players, which includes four great players they signed away from other teams: LaDainian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor, Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes, plus their young star quarterback Mark Sanchez. He spoke frankly about his expectations for the New York Jets this season and how he didn’t want to hear any nonsense about how the Jets were under the radar last year so that would be a good place to be again this year.
Note: The New York Jets surprised the other teams in the NFL because it was Rex Ryan’s 1st year as the head coach, it was quarterback Mark Sanchez’s rookie season, and no one really expected them to come within one game of reaching the Super Bowl).
Rather than hoping to fly under the radar again, Rex Ryan set his expectations for the New York Jets at the very top. In doing so, he also revealed one of the Success Secrets that is a vital lesson from the HBO Hard Knocks Training Camp with the New York Jets. Here’s what Rex Ryan said to his players & staff (I’ve edited out some of the more colorful words he added to get their attention)
“We have ONE GOAL as an organization. One goal. And that’s to WIN the Super Bowl. That’s it!
How do we get it done? I want to lead the league in wins. So, who’s it on? Whose shoulders does it fall on? Ours!
We affect how this thing turns out. People say last year, hey we were under the radar, that’s a good place to be. F – - k that!
The best place to be is when expectations are high.
Get used to it!
It’s always going to be that way.
And now let’s go out & prove everybody right.”
So, there’s the success secrets lesson sitting right there in plain sight.
Set your expectations high.
With the one goal of winning the Super Bowl, do you suppose the New York Jets players have a much different mind-set or mental attitude than if their goal was to just make the NFL playoffs or just win a playoff game or just make it to the Super Bowl?
Switch it to something close to your heart in your own life.
Do you want to be a good teacher or be a knowledgeable authority in your field? Or do you want to be the best in your field?
I’ve had people argue with me that they believe this is simply a matter of semantics but I strongly disagree.
I’ve seen far too many examples in every possible category you can think of to know better.
I agree with you Michael that we should have as our goal to be the best at what we do. That means that effort should be expended in ways that support that goal and not be wasted on things that don’t show or don’t matter.
I love this series as well, and catch it whenever i can.
Seize the Day,
Survival Rob
Is Your Family Prepared For A Financial Crisis or Natural Disaster?
Hi Michael,
I like how you are gleaning success secrets from a variety of venues. Indeed, when you first mentioned Hard Knocks, I was sure you were going to start discussing the fights on the ice in NHL Hockey.
A girl can dream, can’t she?
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Single Baby Boomer Dating Expert
Get used to it!!! Now you have me all fired up…
Don
http://donhillonline.com
We must certainly set our goals to precisely what we want and so if winning the Superbowl is what we want, any lessor goal surely will not serve us well.
Michael,
This reminds me of something Mary Kay Ash used to say, “Reach for the moon and even if you don’t make it you’ll land among the stars.”
Sabrina Peterson, NASM CPT, CES
Corrective Exercise for Every Body
This was an excellent article! I, too, am a fan of this show. Say what you want about sports but there are many success lessons to be observed and learned.
Dennis
Create The Life of Your Dreams
When you have a team of 53 players, or even a much smaller group, a unified goal of excellence is a great rallying point for everyone to look at and hold each other accountable for achieving it together. I really liked your article.
I will definitely have to set up the TiVo to record this show so I can check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.
Yours In Health!
G.E. Moon II
http://www.AbundantHealthCenter.com
I love watching shows that follow people trying to reach their maximal potential, whether it is physically or mentally. This show would have both. Could you imagine what the world would be like if everyone wanted to be the greatest in their field? I picture that often.
Yours In Health!
Dr. Wendy M. Schauer, D.C., R.K.C.
Come Experience The Power of the Russian KettleBell Revolution at Kettlebell Olympia – Home of A Better Body With Bells!
Your story reminds me of a quote I read recently… “People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy” – Oliver Goldsmith
The players have to trust in the leadership of their coach and lay everything out on the field to fulfill the prophesy of their coach laid before them and become the winning team. Awesome! Inspiring!
Jandy
http://www.hotfreshstyles.com
I love sports example when it comes to what can be done for success. The examples relate well to business just as well as personal life.
Scott Sylvan Bell
http://www.crackedheatexchanger.com
Now go implement!
Sporting events are a great places to glean success secrets because the results are so obvious in competitions.
Shane
Resources For the Independent Film Maker
Sorry not much of a football fan and living in the UK I can’t watch the show.However the points he makes are very good and shows that good advice is good advice no matter where it comes from.
http://alamghafoor.com/
I agree – it reminds me of the quote attributed to Michelangelo: “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it.”
Rae & Mark
Coolaroo Victoria 11 ft Hexagonal Gazebo
I have not watched hard knocks…but as a fan of the NFL I will. I Also agree with Rae, don’t set your expectations low…
Good advice!
http://influencewithkevinhogan.com/blog
True success secrets are true across multiple disciplines. I have never seen the show but it sounds like one worth watching.
Steve
I like Rex. It’s not good enough to be just be good
Don
http://donhillonline.com
I don’t know about NFL but the example you gave was very clear. It makes a whole difference with the results when expectations are high!
I just finished viewing your YouTube video. No more excuses! Just keep moving forward! Press on and persist and success will come! That is the message I got from you. I needed that about now! Thanks!
Jandy
http://www.hotfreshstyles.com
Michael
Great article. Set the expectations high and continue to monitor them. In football they are able to measure their success week by week with wins or loses we can do the same thing in our lives. When in football they lose they know they must work harder to win the next game. I like the this secret.
This is such a great principle! There is this theory out there that you should set goals that are reasonable and achievable. This may be true for short-term goals, so you can realize steady progress and get some “wins” under your belt. But when it comes to the big things in life, you need to set your goals high and shoot for the moon! Even if you don’t achieve them, or don’t achieve them as quickly as you thought you would, you will still accomplish much more than you would have with more “reasonable” goals. Thanks for an inspiring tip.
Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com
I love the Ryan quote at the end of the article. Given a choice of being at the top of the heap and defending your turf vs somewhere below fighting to reach the top, I would rather be at the top. The view is much nicer there.
Make it a great day!
Dennis
Create The Life of Your Dreams
Rex Ryan seems a little bit crazy, but he sure knows how to get the best out of his players! I was amazed at how well his team did last year, too.
Michael: excellent point! In Olympic years we are reminded of this necessity to set our goals high with the mantra: “Go for the GOLD!” In business we could also use that motto as we bring all those we work for and with towards that goal.
Eileen
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Constantly working hard to achieve higher goals is what makes life fun.
Jose Escalante
Deadbeat Superaffiliate
I would have never thought that you could get so much out of a documentary on the New York Jets the wisdom is great keep it up!
To me, there is no better life example than the NFL. There is the Superbowl winner and 31 other teams, that’s it. Football is perhaps the only sport where if you have the best guy you are still not guaranteed a single win. It takes the whole team.
Las Vegas Air Conditioning Service & Repairs
I’m not a big sports fan, but these are undeniably good lessons!
Cherie Miranda
Yoga, Meditation, & Religion