Figuring It Out: Lessons From Duke, the NBA, and the Bike Seat

You could hear the hum of the ice machine from the hallway outside the Duke locker room.

Inside, I watched my upperclass idol Trajan Langdon wrap his knees in ice packs. Not because he was hurt. Just because it might extend his career by a few years. That moment stuck.

Effort isn’t always about pain, it’s about prep.

Master the Reps, Even When No One’s Looking

In college, almost nobody ices after practice unless they’re injured (or wise beyond their years).

Every young player thinks their knees and hips will last forever. Youth is wasted on the young, yet again.

I wasn’t the latter but I borrowed wisdom early.

I iced not because anyone told me to. I did it because it might give me a 1% edge. That invisible edge adds up fast when you stack it day after day.

You want that type of routine.

The myth is that certainty comes before action. In truth, action leads. Clarity follows.

Whether it’s 200 shots after practice or 10 minutes on a stationary bike, the reps matter.

Especially on the days your fire is running low.

Do something every day.

Responsive Flexibility Is the Real Muscle

Some days I couldn’t sneak in a full workout.

I’d break into any church that was in Metro-Detroit for 10 minutes before getting kicked out. And that was enough. It was better than nothing.

Not perfect. Not polished. But responsive.

That’s what real growth looks like. You don’t need epic inputs, just consistent ones. Doing ‘something’ always beats doing nothing.

Call it habit. Call it mission focus.

It’s the discipline to start where you are and do what you can today.

Say the Hard Thing to Yourself First

If you’re waiting for the ideal time, it’s not coming.

Those moments when you think, “It doesn’t matter”, that’s when it matters most.

You may not ice your knees after a long meeting. But you can grab five quiet minutes to zoom out, reset and process.

Same principle. Same glue guy behavior. Get a little bit better.

Before I retired, I hit a stretch where I didn’t feel useful. My minutes dropped. The team needed energy I didn’t feel. It shook me.

I started journaling.

Not to fix it, just to name it. Two weeks later, something turned.

I found usefulness in being steady.

The Invisible Edge in Your Every Day

What’s your ice pack today?

Do a little something. Stack enough small todays and you’ll be shocked where you end up.

The same edge that makes you resilient on the court makes you durable in business. Can you control your warm-up, your rhythm, your prep?

If so, you can build trust. With clients and with teammates.

Shoot your shot, even if today’s just 10 minutes.

That’s enough.