“Because if you practice, train, and rehearse believing in yourself, it will become second nature. If you practice, train, and rehearse giving 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, that will become second nature, too. But if you practice, train, and rehearse being negative, miserable, and depressed, well, that’s what you’ll be good at.”

Desmond Howard was ready to quit Michigan.

The future Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl MVP was at a camp and ready to transfer. He'd switched from running back to wide receiver, wasn't starting, and felt like his college career was going nowhere.

Then Harden told him something that changed everything: "You can leave Michigan, but who cares? You haven't done anything. So you're going to go somewhere else with different colors…guess what? They're going to treat you the same as we're going to treat you. But most importantly there, let's look at it this way. If you want to leave, why don't you blow up and become extremely successful and have us beg you to stay?"

Howard's response? "Huh?"

What happened next became one of the most powerful lessons in sports psychology - and life.

Why this matters: Most people save their best effort for things they enjoy and coast through everything else. But champions understand something different: excellence isn't situational. When you create a habit of giving 100% to the things you hate, you build a default mode that transforms everything you do.

The 100% Philosophy - Harden's advice to Howard wasn't about motivation - it was about mathematics. He explained his "100%, 100% of the time" principle:

"If my primary form of operating in my head is to try to give 100%. I no longer am coming off at 30, 40, 50 (percent) - if my mindset is to give 100% into things I don't even like"

The breakthrough moment came when Harden told Howard: "100% 100% of the time. There are things you don't like to do - I need you to give 100% to the things you hate. Now if you create a habit of giving 100% to the stuff you hate, what’re you going to do when you get to the stuff you love? You'll have a habit of trying to give 100%."

The Blocking Problem - Howard's issue wasn't talent - it was humility and doing the things that he didn’t want to do. In the Big Ten, if you didn't block as a wide receiver, you didn't play. Period. Howard hated blocking and hated long runs. He avoided them and was stuck on the bench.

Harden's solution wasn't to make blocking fun. It was to make excellence habitual.

The Default Mode Game Changer - Then Harden shared the line that became legendary: "My worst day - it's gonna be better than the average man's best day."

This wasn't about perfection. It was about establishing excellence as your baseline operating system.

The Habit Formation Secret - Most people think habits are about discipline. Harden understood they're about identity.

When you give 100% to things you hate, you're not just building work ethic - you're building an identity as someone who gives everything regardless of preference.

That identity becomes automatic. You don't have to decide to give your best anymore - it's just who you are.

The Howard Transformation - Howard took the advice. He started giving 100% to blocking and to his training. He focused on the things that would make him better even if he hated them. While others were out partying, he was going to the gym and running an extra 15 miles per week.

The result? The next camp, his coaches were shocked with who Desmond was. It was the beginning of how he became one of the greatest receivers in Michigan history, won the Heisman Trophy, and had a legendary NFL career.

But more importantly, he built a habit of excellence that served him for life.

The Default Mode Choice -  Every day, you choose your default mode. You can operate at 60%, hoping to spike to 80% when it matters. Or you can make 100% your baseline and watch how that changes everything.

As Harden says: "Even when I rest, I 100% rest."

Everyone has them - the parts of your role, your sport, your life that you'd rather avoid.

Harden's challenge is simple: Give 100% to those things. Not because they're fun, but because excellence is a habit.

Why do successful people read biographies?

They know the secret: Champions aren't born, they're made by specific decisions, specific moments, specific advice - like what Greg Harden just told Desmond Howard. But these breakthrough moments are buried in 400-page books, scattered across podcasts, hidden in interviews you'll never find.

The Growth Compass Premium: I find them for you. Extract the gold. Deliver it daily. Stories, tools, best practices, and breakthroughs - plus my Coaching Vault with 1,000+ pieces of battle-tested content you can instantly search and share with your team.

While others are still reading chapter one, you'll already know what Greg Harden, Jack Clark (29 national championships), Brad Stevens and Saturday's featured champion actually did to win. → Sign up today

🧠Questions to Ask Others You're Leading

Final Takeaway: Excellence isn't about giving your best when you feel like it - it's about making your best your default mode. When you give 100% to the things you hate, you build a habit that transforms everything you love. Your worst day becomes better than others' best day because you've trained excellence as your operating system, not your special occasion setting. The question isn't whether you can do it - it's whether you're willing to make it who you are.

Source: Improve Your Mental Fitness to Change Your Life | Shawn Stevenson & Greg Harden

For coaches and leaders:

For athletes and performers:

What I am reading and listening to:

📚 Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

🎥 Video: Dabo Swinney Speech | Sports Visions

🎧Podcast: Steve Sarkisian Joins Josh Pate - Pate State Speaker Series

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