Being in a league of your own as a game changer does not mean that you are number one in a league that everyone else is in. Instead, it is about being so good at what you do that you create another league, and you are the only one in it.

If you have been paying attention as you read the past three chapters, you already know quite a bit about game changers, and are aware of some mental adjustments you may need to make to work and live in more of a game changer status. Here is a quick review of key points, as well as additional insights to solidify your understanding of nine things it takes to become unstoppable.

1. Game changers are not born; they are made. But they are made from the inside out; they cannot be forced, or persuaded from the outside in. You can listen to pep talks, attend lectures on the value of hard work and paying the price, and study countless examples—as I am providing in this book—of the traits others developed and applied to reach game changer status. But until you decide to think differently, stop blaming or making excuses, change your behaviors, replace unproductive habits with healthy habits, and get so focused on your dreams—and why you want them—that you become unstoppable, you are resigned to spend more of your time bouncing around the undertaker, caretaker, and playmaker performance categories, while game changer status eludes you.

   There is no question that your thinking can be influenced from the outside in, or that you can influence another's thinking from the outside in (just as I am endeavoring to do with this book, with my game changer seminars, my The Game Changer Life podcast, and more), but you have to decide to act on the challenge or on the information, inspiration, or motivation offered. Most will listen and agree that working and living to the fullest, to their greatest potential, makes sense. As a result of outside stimulation, some will make changes but soon revert back to their old thinking and behaviors. But a few—a small handful—will flip a switch in their minds, begin the journey to game changer status, and never look back.

   I can recall an essential piece of outside stimulation that helped flip my own switch. I was 90 days into a new job selling cars at Parnell Chrysler/Plymouth/Jeep more than three decades ago, and my results were in the middle of the pack, far from the top of the sales board. The dealer, Harold Parnell, had a habit of writing messages on the bottoms of paycheck statements. Some were positive; others were downright ornery. One payday he had written the first and only note he ever inscribed on my pay statement: “We're waiting for you to make your move. Show us you're number one.”

   Up to that point I was not even thinking in terms of being the best at that dealership. I was still learning the ropes, trying to fit in, and determining if car sales was the best way to provide for my young family. But that day, a switch went off in my mind. Mr. Parnell saw something in me I had not yet discovered about myself. He provoked a rise in sights, a new thinking, and a higher aspiration. I went on to become the top salesperson at Parnell Chrysler for 15 straight months following his message, after which I was offered a management job elsewhere. To make a long story short, six years after starting fresh on the floor as a salesperson in my first-ever auto-sales job, I was the number-two man in a $300 million dealership group, the equivalent of which would be substantially larger in today's dollars. To Harold Parnell's credit, he paid enough attention to see something in me and challenge me, and to my credit I decided to change my thinking and my behaviors because of his affirmation.

   When Phil Beckner coached future National Basketball Association (NBA) all-star Damian Lillard at Weber State, Lillard was MVP of his conference during his sophomore year, and everyone started to realize how special he could be. And a challenge from Beckner helped lift him to the next level. Despite Lillard's personal achievement that year, his team failed to make the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament, and that set off a fire within him. Beckner decided to stoke the flames with a positive provocation by saying, “You can't just work hard Monday through Friday and let up on the weekend. You can't just be a 50/50 guy where one day you put in extra work, and then the next day you do what's required.”

   Lillard hit back, saying,“I'm not a 50/50 guy.”

   Beckner replied, “Yes, you are. On weekends, you go to football games and other events rather than working out; you do it five days out of seven.”

   Lillard replied, “I'll put in extra work every single day!” (Phil Beckner, pers. comm.).

   And he started to do just that: before and after practice, during spring break, and on weekends starting at 8:00 AM shooting with Beckner on Saturdays (which pretty much eliminated any late Friday nights). Then Lillard took the next step and asked Beckner to work out with him on Sundays, and the coach told him, “I'm not doing it on Sunday with you. You have to do it on your own. Show me you can do it without someone pushing you. I'll open the gym for you, and then you're on your own.”

   One Sunday after Coach Beckner opened the gym and left Lillard to work out, he texted later, “How many did you make?” The reply he received was “Made 250 shots.”

   The next Sunday, Beckner did the same thing and got Lillard's texted reply, “Made 300.” The third consecutive Sunday, Beckner opened the gym. This time, however, he stayed and hid to see if Lillard was really shooting, and watched him sink 400 shots. Then he got the text from Lillard: “400 shots.”

   On the fourth week, Beckner, completely trusting Lillard now, opened the gym and left. After his customary, “How many?” text, Lillard replied, “675. My shoulder hurts.” Not 675 shots, mind you—675 made shots.

   Damian Lillard had put in extra work for 37 straight days when Beckner told him, “Take a day off. You're not a 50/50 guy anymore” (Phil Beckner, pers. comm.).

2. Game changers do the ordinary extraordinarily well, and consistently well. As a result, they appear to do the exceptional, when they are actually just reaping the entirely predictable harvest from the consistent seeds of discipline, attention to detail, continual improvement, and extra work they have sown over time.

   One of my mentors, the late and great Jim Rohn, had keen insight into this point. Here are some notes from Rohn's The Weekend Seminar in 1999 that are just as relevant today as they were then: “Failure is nothing more than an accumulation of wrong decisions repeated over again, every day. Failure isn't an accident. Success is nothing more than an accumulation of right decisions repeated over again, every day. Success isn't an accident. If you don't like what you're reaping, sow something else!” (Rohn 1999).

3. Game changers are good cultural fits. In some cases they may not even have the same levels of skill, knowledge, talent, or experience as some undertakers, caretakers, or playmakers. But it is the incessantly constant manner with which they apply what they do have, and add value to the culture, that sets them apart. And that relentless approach is rooted in the right mindset.

   Scott Cross is the head basketball coach for the Mavericks at the University of Texas at Arlington, a team on the rise and gaining national recognition for its success. Notice what characteristics stand out to Coach Ross as defining who game changers are, what they are not, and also what they do:

   At UT Arlington, we have had three record-breaking seasons since 2011–2012. In '11–'12, we won the Southland Conference, won 24 games, and had a 16-game win streak. Unfortunately, we lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and because of this we had to settle on the NIT [National Invitational Tournament] instead of the NCAA Tournament. Last year (2015–2016), we also won 24 games and were 13–3 before our leading scorer and rebounder, Kevin Hervey, had to undergo ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] surgery. We were very fortunate to have nonconference road wins last season over Ohio State, Memphis, UTEP [University of Texas at El Paso], North Texas, and Rice. In 2016–2017, we finished the season at 27–9, and were ranked #11 in College Insider's Mid-Major Top 25.

   When considering “game changers,” I think about the guy or guys who helped us overachieve. Lamarcus “Jug” Reed was definitely one of our most talented players in '11–'12. However, over the past two seasons, the three players who I would call our game changers are not our most talented players. I would call Jalen Jones, Jorge Bilbao, and Drew Charles our game changers. I think the reason that they are game changers is because all of these guys have embraced our culture and values. We can summarize our culture and values with this statement: “We are a tough, competitive, selfless basketball team that communicates and takes ownership in everything that we do.” I guarantee that all of my game changers have been extremely coachable players.

   I never had to worry about the little things when Jug was the leader of our basketball team. If we had a team function at 9 AM, he would have the entire team dressed appropriately 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Nobody was ever late for a bus or team outing. I did not realize that he was doing all of this until he was gone. When he left, our culture suffered for a couple of years as I realized that we needed to recruit more guys like Jug. I had just finished reading an article about Coach Chris Petersen when he was at Boise State, and he talked about recruiting “OKGs” (Our Kind of Guys). OKGs for Coach Petersen were high-production, low-ego players. My definition of an OKG was someone who was tough and competitive. I made it a point to recruit more guys just like Jug. The signing of Jalen Jones was a direct result of us wanting to sign OKGs. Over the last year, I have expanded my definition of OKGs to be guys who embody our core values: tough, competitive, selfless basketball players who communicate and take ownership in everything that they do. I actually turned down a Top 100 basketball player because I did not feel that he would fit into our culture here. I want guys who are “culture” guys. I believe that a championship basketball team can have one or two players who do not embody all of the attributes of our culture, but the other 13 had better be pretty darn close.

   I can remember that we told Lamarcus “Jug” Reed after his sophomore season that he needed to become a better three-point shooter and that he needed to shoot 10,000 shots a month. We started a monthly “10K” shooting club. Lamarcus embraced this and shot 10,000 shots almost every single month. And, over the last two years of his career, he was one of the best shooters in the Southland Conference. Here were his year-by-year three-point shooting percentages:

   • 2008–2009: 4–14 (28.6%)
   • 2009–2010: 12–45 (26.7%)
   • 2010–2011: 46–119 (38.7%)
   • 2011–2012: 64–166 (38.6%)

   Jug embraced the process and culture of getting better every single day and helped establish this for future UT Arlington basketball teams (Scott Cross, pers. comm.).

4. Game changers are more intrinsically motivated, and thus committed to self-improvement. In fact, they are obsessed with it. Their primary objective is to become better than their former best. As a result, they often become the best at what they do. Their mantra is: “Yesterday ended last night. I will prove myself over again today.”

   Dr. Jim Afremow, author of two outstanding books on performance, The Champion's Mind and The Champion's Comeback, observes:

   Along with talent, there are several characteristics that help push a person to excellence. These include discipline and forming the habit of hard work. There is mental toughness and handling pressure, both on the field and off, and both of which are better handled if one has a higher cause or purpose. There is an attitude of gratitude rather than a sense of entitlement. There is the most important characteristic, belief in oneself. And day-to-day, throughout life, there is a continual desire to get better. This is a growth mindset that is ingrained young and really never tapers off. With these themes in mind, the best ask themselves this question: “What do I do today, knowing that it helps me be better tomorrow?” (Dr. Jim Afremow, pers. comm.).

   Sony/ATV Music's Troy Tomlinson adds, “They are competitive, but like a golfer, thinking: ‘Sure, there are a lot of folks on the field, but I'm really competing with myself’” (Troy Tomlinson, pers. comm.).

5. The game changer errs on the side of being personally humble rather than showy, and has a voracious ambition for the team to do well. He or she believes that by continuing to grow and excel, and being a clutch member of the team, he or she can inspire and lift others to a higher level of intensity, desire, and performance.

   Family First Life's Shawn Meaike explains how he learned to be a clutch teammate from his time playing baseball: “I had a baseball coach while I was growing up named John Ellis who was a Major League Baseball player for many years. He coached me for only a few months in the summer of 1991, but he taught me about being a game changer. During a Legion baseball game one summer, he pulled me aside before I went up to bat in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth. He said, ‘Leaders get it done every time the game is on the line; that is what makes them leaders. Anybody can get a hit up 10–0, or down 10–0’” (Shawn Meaike, pers. comm.).

6. Game changers renounce excuses as the DNA of underachievers, and focus on the aspects of their lives and jobs they can control.

   Karate world champion Johnny Gyro explains well the immense rewards for those who renounce the options and ease of making excuses and quitting, and decide to pay the price necessary to reach their dreams:

   I had a never-give-up, quitting-is-not-an-option outlook. I employed that unforgiving method in my training as well. If you want to fight hard, you must train hard. It's just that simple. Having talent is one thing, and I felt I had the talent to make a very good fighter, but I wanted to become an outstanding fighter with a name that stood for excellence. If I wanted to gain the respect of all the other veteran fighters, no one would respect excuses. I fought every fight like it was the “big one”—the one that mattered the most—because along the way, each fight would bring me that much closer to my goal. One loss while the other competitors in my division won would set me back, and in my mind that was an entirely unacceptable option. Achieving a goal like mine required me to outsmart, outthink, and outperform everyone else. That meant fighting like it was my last match every single time.

   Before long, at almost every tournament I went to, I saw more and more well-trained, disciplined fighters pack up and leave before fighting in my division. This told me I was doing something very right because the momentum I felt was palpable—momentum, not through intimidation, but through actual accomplishment. Intimidation is an empty vice that is based on ego. Among the veteran karate fighters, I had many great friends and many that I respected as formidable opponents. However, while in the ring during competition, the only thing that mattered was fighting to win. I wanted to be judged and remembered for my talent, for my abilities, and for my never-give-up and take-no-prisoners performance every single time. After all, being a fighter requires you to count only on yourself—you do it alone, and I preferred it that way. I didn't have anyone holding me back, telling me how I should keep my goals realistic or changing my direction. I achieved my goal, my success, through my direction, my dedication, and with unfaltering determination. Even with undeniable talent and potential, without direction, without dedication and the determination to see it through without exception, success will always elude the fool who tries to rely on talent alone. There are infinitely talented individuals in this world of all ages, diversities, and variations, and we will never know who they are, what they look like, or what their names are if they lack the desire, direction, and determination to propel them to victory.

   My name, my achievements, and my records speak for themselves—and they also speak for me. Make no mistake—the road was never smooth or easy, and it rarely is for any goal worth achieving. I suffered many injuries and broken bones along the way (a broken jaw, a broken eye socket, a broken nose, a broken eardrum, a fractured skull, a torn ACL, and countless concussions). Likewise, I am not proud of injuring other karate fighters during matches when I did, but it was part of the game, especially back then when protective gear wasn't required or worn. Many have asked, “Why do it?” and my response is because becoming the number 1-rated fighter in our great nation mattered to me. It was everything. It was more important for me to find out if I could achieve what I set out to do, as challenging as it was; or, was I the type to just talk about wanting it? Taking on that challenge defined me. I became less about talking about my goals and much more about being programmed to do whatever it takes. That was and still is my personal mindset, which is much more than a philosophy. That mental process of winning remains with me to this day and is responsible for my life's journey and successes that followed. When I opened my karate studio 22 years ago this year, my drive for success in business was ignited and propelled by the same winning mental toughness and tenacious spirit that I had then and still have as a fighter. Identify your desire, devise your direction, and sustain your determination to ward off making excuses for yourself. Hold yourself accountable so that above all else you can respect yourself (Johnny Gyro, pers. comm.).

   Did you catch that last sentence? “Hold yourself accountable so that above all else you can respect yourself.” “Respect Yourself” is the slogan on the back of the Johnny Gyro karate shirts we work out in at Master Gyro's studio. But respect must be earned, and a ton of folks in our snowflake culture today have regressed from being hungry and “huddled masses yearning to be free” to “coddled masses yearning for what's free.” They say things like, “I'd love to do what you do” or “My dream is to have what you have.” The question is: Are they willing to do what you did to do what you do, and to have what you have? In most cases, not a chance. They have lost sight of the fact that earning it, busting your rear end for it, and making sacrifices for getting what you want just flat out feels great!

   Millions today have shelves or drawers littered with worthless, twelfth-place participant ribbons they were granted for showing up, but not for stepping up. In the game changer's world, there are no participant ribbons and no participant paychecks. You earn it, you deserve it, or you go without it; and you stop making excuses for why you don't do it, and stop whining if you didn't get it. “Hold yourself accountable so that above all else you can respect yourself” is a game changer mantra. It also means that failing to give your best, and to own it, creates the conditions under which you think less of yourself. And others will, too. Whether in the workplace or on the field of play, you should expect that people would grant you common courtesies as a fellow human being; but if you want respect, then live and perform in a way that is worthy of it. In case you missed it the first time: earn it, deserve it, or go without it.

7. Game changers change and risk before they have to; thus, they do so from a position of strength and do not wait until their vision is impaired by desperation.

   Troy Tomlinson comments, “They have an ability to be in a constant state of evolution as an artist, and to embrace revolution as an artist” (Troy Tomlinson, pers. comm.).

   Sadly, prosperity drains urgency. The more successful people are or become, the more comfortable they become with what and who they are. Eventually, they are outgrown and lose their relevance.

8. Game changers want to be coached.

   They do not consider constructive criticism, instruction, correction, setbacks, or losses as failure, but as helpful feedback. They adjust their behaviors and grow because of it.

   Athletic Director Kevin Ozee observes, “While most get offended, game changers accept constructive criticism as a compliment. There is no losing for a game changer because he or she is always learning, even when faced with a setback” (Kevin Ozee, pers. comm.).

   To sum it up, Ken Blanchard said it well: “Feedback is the breakfast of champions” (AZ Quotes 2017).

9. A game changer answers the question “How much is enough?” with “All that I possibly can.” He or she believes that being able to do more but choosing not to is just a sanitized sort of embezzlement.

   This is illustrated in LAPD Captain Palka's description of the relentless work ethic of one of his game changers, Lieutenant Hamed “Mo” Mohammadi:

   Mo used to say, “If someone works 60 hours a week, I'll work 70. If they work 70, I'll work 80.” His relentlessness and his thirst for learning are incredible. He was always a bulldog and would take on any task that I or one of my bosses needed done well.

   He is rooted in policy and is smart. He is a military buff and is fascinated by military leadership. He is willing to sacrifice everything to make the team better—to get the job done. His youth and lack of experience can rub the wrong way with many who are simply intimidated by his demand of self. He is ruthless at times, but in a paramilitary organization he is needed desperately because he will burn the midnight oil to get the job done. He is a game changer, as he is one you can always turn to who will say, “Yes, sir. Let's go get it done.” He also brings energy, enthusiasm, and humor to the culture (Cory Palka, pers. comm.).

   “All I can” goes beyond a quantity of work. In a game changer's world it also applies to doing all that is possible to turn out the best work possible. In other words, “good enough is never good enough.” If you watch prime-time television, you have probably seen the work of Andrew Dettmann, an American television writer and producer working in one-hour network drama. Working consistently for more than 20 years, he is credited as writer and/or producer on more than 350 hours of television. His credits include CSI, Chicago Med, Body of Proof, and Numb3rs, to name just a few. What Dettmann says about his own “good enough is never good enough” philosophy applies to anyone aspiring to excellence in any endeavor:

   In series television, the fundamental responsibility of a writer/producer is generating scripts. Without scripts, the whole production mechanism grinds to a halt, which is a disastrous and very expensive circumstance to be in—cast and crew sitting around on the set with nothing to film. Nobody at the studio or network is going to be happy. Quality scripts. On time. That's the job.

   But it's a tricky business because, ultimately, writing is subjective. You're creating a product, the script, which has no concrete or definitive measure of good or bad, right or wrong. As a result, you very often reach a point in the process where you have a script that's “good enough.” You could bundle it up, send it off to the set, and the end result would be a perfectly acceptable episode of television. And there's usually great temptation to go that route—get this one done, move on to the next. But that sort of thinking is a trap, one you want to avoid.

   Never think it's okay to slide by on “good enough.” There's always a way to improve the script—reimagining, reworking, rewriting, even when you don't have to. Until the episode has been filmed and the cameras turned off, the opportunity still exists to improve what you have. So don't squander that opportunity. Keep working on the product. Find another way to make it better. Even when you think the improvements might be too small or subtle to be noticed, make them anyway. People will notice. Obviously, it's a philosophy that goes beyond the narrow world of television writing, which is why I think it's worthy of mentioning (Andrew Dettmann, pers. comm.).

   Dettmann adds more value to developing a game changer mindset as he discusses the importance of flexibility—a concept absolutely appalling to caretakers—by saying:

   A second philosophy that I've found indispensable is this: always be flexible. That's something you learn to embrace not because you want to, but because you have to. In television production (like anywhere, I suppose), things can change quickly and without notice. Filming locations fall through at the last moment. Weather can disrupt plans to film outdoors. Actors get sick, or maybe just refuse to say the scripted lines. You have to be adaptable. You have to be flexible enough to make changes to the script, right now, on the fly, without sacrificing quality or disturbing the continuity of the storyline. That may sound simple, but it's not. As writers, we tend to get entrenched in the script as written. We're resistant to changes that aren't story driven. But in situations like the above, you don't have a choice; and the more flexible you are going in, the better off you're going to be when the moment inevitably comes.

   Certainly, there are countless factors and variables that contribute to the longevity of any career, and I'm not implying any simple, two-pronged path to success. But in my own experience, I make an effort to keep two things in the front of my mind: “Good enough” is never good enough. And “stay flexible” (Andrew Dettmann, pers. comm.).

   In summary, you should be encouraged by this chapter because you now (it is hoped) embrace the fact that whether you become a game changer depends on you, and you alone. No one can, or should, make that decision for you. You get to choose to become unstoppable—to work harder; to give up excuses; to focus more on what you can control; to be more humble, hungry, persistent, and focused; and to grow. So the good news is that no one can stop you. The not-so-good news is that if you fall short of developing the mindset and habits that make you unstoppable, you are to blame. You own it either way. And that is exactly how a game changer would want it to be.