Recently, my good friend Joe Ferraro brought something to my attention on KWB Radio that, quite frankly, I didn’t remember happening. In Episode 40, he shared with our audience a recent text message exchange he and I had:
JF – What are you three favorite movies?
Now full disclosure, Joey Jett (as I like to call him) absolutely loves this question. He goes as far as to say that if you’re looking for a life partner to spend the rest of eternity with, this is the single most important question you can pose to figure out if he or she is worthy of a lifelong relationship. So with that being said, he’s asked this question to almost every human being he has ever met, but in all of those conversations, this was the one response that stopped him dead in his tracks.
KW – What is the purpose of watching these movies? It depends on WHY you’re asking me, what movies I give you.
Now you may be wondering WHY I asked a question in response rather than give him a direct answer. Those who have worked with me or followed me for years, understand that I’m meticulous in the way I communicate. I have a PURPOSE for WHY I do everything in life, and when it comes to conversation, I submerse myself in order to fully understand where the other person is coming from. In the example above, I could have given JJ a direct answer and satisfied his reasons behind asking it.
But that’s not the way I approach communication.
I know he was asking me the question for a reason, so I wanted to make sure I answered it to the best of my ability. The only way I was going to do that was by asking a question in return to understand the purpose behind his question.
Purpose Provides Consistency
When you approach things with PURPOSE, you begin to work smarter, not harder. And when you start working smarter, you begin to see consistent results in your life.
When you look at successful people, you’ll hear others talk about the talents that successful people display. They assume having talent automatically leads to success. Talent may help you gain short-term success, but in reality, consistency leads to success for years to come.
I share with hitters that when given endless opportunities, anyone can hit the ball hard, one time. Anyone can get a hit, one time. Any last place team can beat a first-place team, one time. The list goes on and on.
The best are the best for a reason. They have figured out how to be the best for a long period of time by understanding and executing the small things which in turn, provide the consistency in their lives, both on and off the field.
Talent gets you drafted. Consistency allows you to make a living.
Think about the big names in the game. Do you know Mike Trout because he had one good month in his career? Do you know Derek Jeter because he had one good week at the plate? How about the guys in the Hall of Fame? Did they have one good year and then ride the proverbial roller coaster the rest of their career?
What do they all have in common? They were consistent day in and day out. I’m not talking about consistency in the stat book. I’m talking about the consistency in their routines. Consistency in their purpose for everything they did. They became obsessed with having purpose, even down to how they put the ball on their Tanner Tees.
Details Matter in the Game of Baseball and Life.
If someone were to come to your place of work and ask you WHY you do what you do, and what your PURPOSE is for executing your WHY, would you be able to provide them a direct and meaningful answer? How about if someone comes up to you during your pre-game routine and asks what you’re working on and WHY, would you be capable of explaining the details and PURPOSE of your cage work in a clear and concise manner?
Details sometimes get glossed over in our race to the top. We think it’s a straight shot from A to B and that if we just start to push the vehicle downhill, the momentum will take you the rest of the way.
Life is a puzzle. Every puzzle has pieces. And every piece is different and has a PURPOSE for fitting into another. Figuring out the puzzle of life requires vision, planning, and precise execution. Having PURPOSE allows you to understand WHY you do everything that you do.
The road to success is littered with clues. Along your journey, if you understand WHY you are doing something and have PURPOSE for everything you do, chances are that you are going to find consistency in your life.
So remember the conversation I had with Joey Jett? Ask the question. Listen to their response, and if they pass the test with PURPOSE and focus, you may have found the leading candidate for your soulmate…or at least your next movie date.
Love,
KW
For more than a decade, Kevin Wilson has been one of the most respected hitting coaches in the game. He works behind the scenes as a private hitting consultant to some of the best hitters in Major League Baseball. In 2013, Kevin was the hitting coach for the USA Baseball 18U National Team. Team USA beat Japan for the Gold medal at the IBAF World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan.
He is the author of the Amazon #1 Best Seller The #GoodBatting Book and co-hosts a popular podcast, KWB Radio, that showcases unique conversations with the pros. If you want Kevin to speak at your next event or if you want take advantage of his popular 2-day KWB Experience for players and coaches, contact Kevin today!
Follow Kevin on twitter @KWBaseball and visit his website KWBaseball.com