Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

How are you going to deal with pressure when the lights come on? When you are put into a situation where there are intangibles and uncontrollable circumstances will you thrive or wither under the pressure? Asking yourself these questions and working through them is crucial for each basketball player to be able achieve their potential.

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Complacency

Ever heard the saying "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"? This saying contains so much truth regarding basketball.

There are many players who have potential and talent but they fail to grow into their potential due to a lack of work ethic and as a result are outshone by hard workers. This is because they fall into the trap of being satisfied with their work ethic. It is so easy to get into a routine of working out and practicing the same things over and over again and not challenging yourself in new or difficult drills.

Take this opportunity to mentally check yourself, are you not progressing at the rate you could be due to some form of comfortability? As basketball players being comfortable has to be our enemy - we have to be cognizant of complacency and get out of it at all costs.

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Be Prepared

The best way to be comfortable being uncomfortable is to be prepared. When doing drills and working out it is key to put yourself in new and uncomfortable positions. Being intentional and mindful of putting yourself in discomfort will teach you how it feels so you know how to deal with it when it really counts.

The more you do things like try drills you're not used to, try new exercises, push yourself to do extra reps and sets, and practice for plenty of game situations you will have a bigger tolerance discomfort. Draining yourself in practice will help you build up immunity for tough and draining situations in game. There is no reward for playing it safe in practice. Remember, discomfort in practice is nothing compared to the reward of becoming a player who thrives in any situation.

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