Cal’s 21-year career with the Baltimore Orioles included playing 2,632 consecutive games. That’s nearly 17 straight years without missing a game. An astonishing feat.
What kind of person does it take to achieve that kind of record?
Many rookies asked Cal that same question in his later years. At first he had no idea how to respond, but then he spent time considering the characteristics involved in that achievement. He came up with eight traits someone would need in order to break his record, and his latest book describes them in detail - Get in the Game: 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make the Difference.
Cal covered these eight traits in his presentation to our group and illustrated them with fascinating stories from his career. Here are just two that can make a tremendous difference in your own life…
Be consistent. The accumulation of all the contributions you make on a daily basis are what make you special and even irreplaceable. What habits are you developing that make it easy for you to adapt to change and continue to perform at high levels?
Build physical and mental strength. What are you doing every day to improve your performance? How are you growing your mind and your abilities so you’re able to think through problems and find solutions quickly?
Cal’s talk resonated with me at a deep level because the traits he described are exactly the kinds of personal strengths we’re helping people develop with our new online self-development service, ProStar Coach.
Cal’s last slide summarized his approach to baseball and life. This wisdom may inspire you to take greater risks even when you can’t be certain of the outcome.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt
