The Last Dance Review - What Did We Learn That Can Be Used in Everyday Life?

(Originally posted on LinkedIn)

The Last Dance outlined Michael Jordan's story to becoming the greatest player in NBA history. Through this path, he displayed his unwavering commitment to learning, evolving, and developing himself and all around him. This commitment led the Chicago Bulls to six championship wins. Here are a few things that we learned from The Last Dance.

Be Committed

Throughout the series, Michael Jordan showed time and time again that his commitment to being the best-trumped anything else around him. Because of this, he was often viewed as being ruthless, difficult, and just mean. In reality, his intentions behind every action were to make everyone around him perform at the level he was committed to. His teammates spoke of him without anger but with respect. They knew he was only pushing them to be the best they could. This relates to both personal and professional life because being committed to anything requires one to give everything. Whether it is to be the best husband/wife or the best in your profession, being committed means you will make the difficult decisions and put in the work to have the best outcome.

Put In The Work

Because of his commitment to being the best, he put in extra work in areas that he needed to improve on. As a young player, he was not the most naturally talented. He spent extra time before and after practice to ensure he was developing in the areas that he fell short. One of the reasons he was the best was because he never stopped putting the extra work in. Even at his greatest, he continued to work harder and put more time in that anyone else around him. In everyday life, it can be easy to get comfortable in areas that come easy to you. To be one's very best, though, one will need to continue putting in extra work and never settle. This means working extra to get a project done on time, putting in another thirty minutes a day at the gym, and/or putting in the extra effort to ensure those around you know they are loved. The extra work makes all the difference between being ordinary or your best.

Don't Do It Alone

Early in his career, Jordan relied on just his skills and pushed his teammates out of the way. This resulted in countless games leaving him exhausted and frustrated. As he matured, he realized how vital and useful his team was. He realized that they were not a burden, but a resource. This change in focus allowed him to utilize their skills to make him his best. Instead of feeling like the world was on his shoulders, his team took part of that load and they all flourished together. Whether it is at work or at home, people often feel the need to take on as much as possible even if it is taking away from what they are meant to do. No one wants to feel like a burden or like they can't handle it, so they just push until there is anything to give. The people around you every day are the people that can help the most. More often than not, these people want to help.

This series shed a light on what it took for Michael Jordan to become the legend that he is today. It also shed light on what it takes for anyone to be their best. It takes an unwavering commitment no matter how much work is required and to surround yourself with people that make you better!