89. There’s a Job to Do

Every now and then a professional athlete says something I really like. It’s always memorable because it doesn’t happen often, but here’s Derek Carr making a few good statements that stuck with me.

**Skip to 17 minutes into this video and tune in to the next couple to get the gist of what I remember.

Derek Carr recently retired, but he was a top 10 quarterback in the NFL for the better part of a decade. He made a name for himself as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, but finished his career with the New Orleans Saints, where he carried the burden of high and unreasonable expectations, as many NFL quarterbacks do.

Things didn’t go according to plan in New Orleans, and Carr took a lot of heat from the fans. They would ‘boo’ him on their home field when they were losing, but this only uncovered what I admire about Derek Carr.

He didn’t fault anyone for booing or say it was unwarranted. He didn’t complain about it or say it was hard to endure with his family in attendance.

He simply acknowledged it when asked and essentially said it doesn’t change the job he’s there to do.

When the crowd is booing or cheering, his job was the same. Try to complete as many passes and score as many points as possible.

Getting booed at home doesn’t change your responsibilities or offer a reason for not doing well. It’s just a thing that happens while you’re out there doing your job.

Listen, we all know that the crowd booing a sports team or an individual doesn’t help anyone, but it happens all the time.

I’m reading between the lines of what Derek Carr actually said, but what I heard was that you have to do your job whether the fans are booing or not, so you might as well not cry about it.

In fact, you might as well use it to teach your kids a lesson.

Sometimes things are hard and it seems like it’s unreasonable that we should keep trying. But we need to keep trying because there’s a job to do.

I’ve worked with plenty of people that make precisely zero progress in the gym. Usually it’s because they completely self sabotage themselves, but I show up and do the best job I can for them anyways.

When the results aren’t there, it doesn’t always make sense why you should continue doing your job.

Now let’s talk about what our job is.

Our job is to fulfill our responsibilities to the very best of our ability.

Whatever your current responsibilities are, that’s your job. At home, at work, on the road, at the store, on the field, your job is to be the best that you can be.

Is that too vague? Perhaps, but it’s enough to get started.

Whatever you’re doing, you chose it, so do it well.

Nobody forced you into the life you have.

Believe me, I know what it feels like to feel like your hands are tied and to have a life that seems rigged against you. To feel like everything is happening to you and nothing is happening for you. Feeling like the fans are booing and as a result, the thing you deserve most is a lucky break.

But like Derek Carr, I knew feeling that way for long wouldn’t get me anywhere worth going.

You might have to backtrack a bit, but wherever you are now, you are because of the choices that you made. Your responsibility to do your job is the same as anyone’s.

We don’t get a free pass when the only thing we can string together are incomplete passes and losses. The crowd is going to boo sometimes.

But there’s still a job to do.

Ignoring responsibility doesn’t make it go away.

Deciding to show up and do our best isn’t optional, at least if you want to get closer to the life you think you deserve.

Nobody deserves better treatment or lucky breaks. That said, you can earn it by doing your job every day.

Here’s how Alex Hormozi figures you can earn those lucky breaks:

1. Hustle — Take more shots. Do more reps.

2. Skill — See things that other people don’t.

3. Reputation — When people bring you opportunity.

4. Blind luck

3 out of those 4 ways to catch a break are directly controllable by you. That’s how you do your job.

Don’t worry about the boos raining down. Simply ask yourself if you’re doing your job. If you can consistently and honestly tell yourself that you are, keep a watchful eye out for something good to happen.

Maybe there will be a 96 million dollar contract around the corner in Vegas for you.

— Cody

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See you next Thursday.

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