Welcome to Life of an Extraordinary Athlete, where we dive deep into the journey of elite athletes and uncover the secrets to their success. I’m Sterling Sheffield, a former NFL player and All-American at the University of Maine, and I’m excited to share insights that can help you elevate your game and achieve extraordinary results. In this blog, we’ll explore five crucial factors that lead to winning, both on the field and in life.
The first step to success is making a clear decision that you want to win. Winning isn’t something that just happens. It’s a choice you make to commit to the work required to reach the top. I learned this at a young age when I struggled as the worst player on my football team. But the moment I decided that I wanted to improve and win, everything changed. My father took me to the football field, and we started putting in the work. Early mornings, late evenings—it wasn’t easy, but I had made the decision that I was going to win, and that decision changed everything.
Success starts with your commitment to greatness.
Winners aren’t people who never fail—they’re people who never quit. To win, you must study those who’ve succeeded. Whether it’s in sports or business, the habits and mindset of winners are similar. Take Michael Jordan, for example. He was cut from his high school JV basketball team, but instead of quitting, he used that failure as motivation to work harder. By studying how winners respond to adversity, you can learn to overcome your own setbacks.
Actionable Tip: Make a list of five people you admire in your sport or industry. Study their journeys, their failures, and their successes. Winners leave clues—find them and follow their path.
Winning is about having a clear destination. It’s not enough to say you want to win; you need to define what winning looks like. What are your short-term and long-term goals? When I was a freshman at the University of Maine, my goal was to make the traveling team for our first game against Boston College. To reach that goal, I created a plan: mastering plays, improving my footwork, and getting extra reps in practice. By the time our first game arrived, I had earned my spot on the field.
Set goals that are specific, measurable, and actionable, and break them down into daily steps.
To win, you need focus. Distractions—whether they’re negative habits, toxic relationships, or time-wasting activities—will hold you back from achieving your goals. For me, I had to cut out video games, late-night socializing, and anything else that wasn’t aligned with my goal of becoming the best player I could be.
Take a hard look at what’s distracting you from your goals and make the necessary changes. You don’t have time for distractions if you’re aiming for greatness.
This is where the magic happens—putting in the work. It’s not enough to have talent or desire. Winning requires consistent, daily effort. Kobe Bryant didn’t become a legend by accident. He became a legend because he was willing to put in the extra work, day in and day out. Whether it was shooting 100 free throws every morning or staying late after practice to perfect his footwork, Kobe’s work ethic set him apart.
You have to be willing to sacrifice, sweat, and grind for your success. Are you willing to do what it takes when no one is watching? Are you willing to put in the work when others are resting?
Winning isn’t about luck or even raw talent. It’s a mindset and a process. If you follow these five factors—making the decision to win, studying winners, setting clear goals, eliminating distractions, and doing the work—you’ll position yourself for success, both as an athlete and in life.
Winning requires hard work, but the rewards are worth every bit of effort. Don’t settle for ordinary when extraordinary is within reach.
Take the Challenge: Commit to doing all five factors. Focus on putting in the work and watch how your mindset, skills, and results transform. Be extraordinary, because extraordinary results come from extraordinary work.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to seeing how you implement these factors in your journey. Remember, you can’t just dream about winning—you have to put in the work to achieve it.