1% Better #16

Just Hoops, the basketball training facility I train at has taught me so much about life. One of my favorite things I love to teach and tell people is to get 1 percent better each day. This is part of our mission statement and something we take pride in each day. I like this teaching because it is a reminder that doing something productive each day is more beneficial than to try to cram more in over a smaller amount of time. We put “1% better” on T-shirts, flyers and on posters around the gym. This is to remind the athletes that come train and workout there that they have the decision to get better or worse. More times than not, it's either one or the other, nowhere in between. So for us to preach getting better each day, coming up with workout plans to help players see their progress and to make that a habit in our facility has been something that has stood out to a big part of our progress in my eyes. 

One of my coworkers, and my personal basketball trainer said something to me a long time ago that always stuck with me. He said it’s about making daily deposits to your game like a piggy bank. One dime or even penny you put in your bank each day for months and even years will eventually add up to a significant amount compared to where you started. In the bible, it talks about sowing and reaping. Pretty much, you get what you put in. Whatever you plant is what will grow. 

6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.- 2 Corinthians 9:6

If we are called to serve the purposes of God, then if we are planting that seed and actively watering it, then that is what will grow. If we do not put in the work to make this a priority in our life then we are not doing what is in God’s will for our lives. I’ve realized in my spiritual walk that I can get very impatient when I pray or want something to happen in a certain way and not seeing the results. One thing about a flower or crop, is that it doesn’t grow abundantly overnight. It takes that everyday grind of waterting and taking care of it for it to be everything you want it to be.

My basketball career was very similar. Each year I got better at something. During that year, I didn’t see the results right away, but eventually when I looked back and watched game films of the previous year, I could see some sort of progress. Getting 1 percent better isn’t just a saying, it is what is called of us by God. He is not saying we have to be perfect or even close to perfect, but He is asking us to continually strive to be better because of the grace and mercy He gives us each day. So remember, each day is an opportunity, and you have the ultimate decision to decide what you want to do with that opportunity.