You don’t have to be great at everything, but you do have to be good at some specific things.

College basketball coach Travis Steele knows exactly what those things are.

During his eighth season as a head coach, his mid-major Miami of Ohio RedHawks started the year 22–0. A significant reason for their success hinges on a quote he reinforces with his team often:

Simple, yes. Easy to focus, work, and actually get really good at the things that happen a lot? Not so much.

The issue isn’t opportunity. By definition, you get more repetitions in the things that happen most. The real challenge is focus, and the humility to work at an elite level on what Kobe Bryant once described as “Never getting bored with the basics.”

I don’t know what you do every day or your primary responsibilities. But I do know this. Everyone should be clear on what they need to get really good at.

An executive leader needs to get really good at:

A salesperson needs to get really good at:

A student needs to get really good at:

You get the point. Every role comes with a short list of things that show up over and over again, and demand excellence.

The only real question is whether you know what those things are for you, and whether you are willing to never get bored with the basics of improving them.

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.