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Drew Bledsoe was a star quarterback at Washington State University before he skipped his senior year to go professional. In 1993, he was the No. 1 NFL draft pick and joined the New England Patriots. After nearly eight years he was traded to the Buffalo Bills, then moved to the Dallas Cowboys, before retiring in 2007.

I just listened to this interview that Michael Gervais posted with Drew Bledsoe.

What I found intoxicating and refreshing is that Drew rose to mastery by very provocative goals that served him in other parts of his life. And as he ends the interview is that as a high school coach he realizes that the life skills he is teaching have real impact on his teams football skills and performance.

Michael is very interested in exploring how Drew rose to his football mastery and how he transitioned into the real world despite real pain from once being on top of the world to almost dying from his football injury and then losing his job to Tom Brady. Especially since sadly 80% NFL players are broke and/or divorced within 2 years.

He claims goal setting was and is his secret to success. Except how he does it may not be how most are taught to do it. His process taught to him by his dad aspire to character goals that lead to success in any context.

His dad taught to be very careful at what you put at the top of your goal and aspiration list. So you do not sacrifice something more important. Football never made the top 3 on his list even though he was the #1 draft pick.

At the top of his list was his higher values.

• I have great work ethic
• I show up early stay late
• Im a good parent
• Im a good husband

They were not tied to results but to his personal values.

The football was a result of attaining his values not necessarily the goal.

He did not foreclose his identity that he is just an athlete. He is much more.

This also indicates an internal motivation that was towards his aspirations and not running away from something. Which often happens in very one dimensional successful people and perhaps why the high divorce and lost finances.

How he dealt with almost losing his life to an injury then his job to Tom Brady through his self worth.

Mike says how he notices that all of the masters that he has modeled that humility seems to run through all of them.

As a kid Drew’s dad who was a high school coach and would simply give Drew  a hug, not a critique after games when he got home. His self worth was not in his game performance.

Mastery of Anything is Boring

Drew believes his curiosity drives him. And when he was towards the end of his career he guesses he mastered the game so much that he had lost some interest. He never wants to feel like he has mastered anything as it becomes less interesting to him

Drew speaks quite a bit these days and offers a great method to put together a speech.

• A Hook-Skip the thank you and get right into a hook to get them emotionally invested. No thank yous for having me.
• Tell them the three points and explain them
• and then tell them the tree points again
• and then wrap it up to a conclusion.

“Your circumstances do not define you, you define you.”

Drew talks about processing adversity internally as opposed to what others are saying and or external circumstances.

Mike talks about “Why this moment is all that matters”. Reminding me of my here and now/ present mantra I use with my players. “What is the most important play?” Their answer better be “this one coach”.

Drew used it though that everything matters in the sense that its the little things that move the business. So all the interactions with his customers matters.

How Drew Bledsoe Interviews Possible Employees

He looks for good teammates and ex athletes to hire and likes to ask them the most important interview question:

 “what have you failed at?”
They better have a good one and should say and “this is what I learned and what I changed”. He doesn’t want their big failure to happen on his dime.

How Drew Bledsoe Built his Rock Solid Confidence

He talked about how he was not a very good back up because he wanted to be the one bing challenged and leading his team.

He says he built his confidence by:

• Superior preparation
• Mental reps/ vivid visualization(associated which is his perspective not seeing it in a movie)
• Perfect Practice  over and over.

He says that to process internally we much get into control what you are in control of.

How he loves coaching high school football and to teach his body of knowledge and how life lessons are great football lessons.

1. Team over self.
2. To train the mundane is more important than the big stuff