“Play like a champion today.” Sign in the locker room at Notre Dame

This mantra, created and passed on by several legendary football coaches holds meaning for us as well. As writers and creatives, our field of play is the page and like any aspiring champion, we can call upon ourselves to bring everything we have to the page today.

Here’s what I love about this mantra—it’s not about winning. It doesn’t say, “Play like a winner today.” NO. It’s about full effort. It’s about attitude. It’s about a way of approaching whatever is before us without holding back. And when we do this, the results take care of themselves.

Let’s peek inside the champion’s kitbag. To my mind, we’ll find that:

Playing like a champion means that what’s in front of us, our work—whatever it is—matters. It’s worthy of our time and our attention. It’s worthy of everything we have to bring to it.

Playing like a champion means showing up and giving a full effort however you’re feeling. Fighting through whatever might hold you back and keep you from doing your best.

Playing like a champion means letting go of any self-limitations we feel might be holding us back. When we play like a champion, we know that we’re capable of more, much more, than an ordinary effort.

Playing like a champion means being extreme—doing more than expected, surpassing ourselves. When we play like a champion, we’re willing to take risks, to put ourselves out there—to query that agent, to send our story to the journal we long to be published by.

Playing like a champion means we know that there’s a champion inside us—that we have untapped reserves we can call on. That the well of creativity is self-renewing: the more we give, the more we have to give.

“Play like a champion today”—I’m going to make a sign with these five words emblazoned on it so I can see it every day. How about you? Does this mantra move you? Write on!

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