So, the other day, I got this weird idea. I was thinking about, you know, greatness. And two names popped into my head, like they always do for a lot of folks: Kobe and Michael. Not just for basketball, but for how they approached stuff. I thought, hey, what if I tried to bring a bit of that intensity into one of my own little projects? Not on the court, mind you, I’m way past my prime for that, haha. This was about something else entirely.
I had this old piece of software I’d written ages ago. It worked, mostly, but it was clunky, slow, and honestly, a bit embarrassing to look at now. My “practice” for myself was to completely overhaul it, make it something I could actually be proud of. And I decided to channel my inner Kobe and Michael for this. Sounds cheesy? Maybe, but stick with me.
The “Kobe” Grind
First up, the Kobe phase. For me, that meant pure, unadulterated grind. I started getting up an hour earlier, just like those stories you hear about Kobe hitting the gym before sunrise. No excuses. My desk became my gym.
- I broke down the entire project into tiny, manageable pieces. Had to.
- Focused on one piece at a time, obsessively, until it was perfect. Or, as perfect as I could make it.
- I researched new techniques, stuff I hadn’t bothered to learn before. It was painful sometimes, felt like my brain was stretching.
There were days I wanted to just throw in the towel, go back to the old, comfy (but crappy) version. But then I’d think, “What would Kobe do?” Probably just work harder. So, I did. I pushed through a lot of mental blocks that way.
Enter “Michael” – The Competitor
After a few weeks of the Kobe grind, I had a much better foundation. But it wasn’t enough to just work hard. That’s where Michael came in. For me, Michael represents that relentless competitive fire, that need to win, even if it’s just against your past self. Yeah, that drive.
So, I started setting myself these ridiculous challenges:
- “Can I make this function 50% faster by tomorrow?” Little games I played.
- “Can I refactor this entire module to be more elegant than anything I’ve written before?”
It was about pushing the boundaries, not just ticking off tasks. I even imagined I was competing against some imaginary rival developer, haha. Sounds silly, but it worked! It kept me sharp, kept me looking for that extra edge. I found myself looking at every line of code asking, “Is this my best?” If not, I’d redo it. Michael wouldn’t settle for “good enough,” right?
So, What Happened?
Well, after a couple of months of this… this “Kobe Michael” approach, the project was done. And honestly? It’s the best piece of work I’ve done in a long time. It’s faster, cleaner, and I actually understand every single part of it deeply. Big difference from before. A huge one.
But the real takeaway wasn’t just the revamped software. It was the shift in my mindset. I realized I’d gotten a bit complacent. This little experiment, inspired by these two giants, reminded me what it feels like to really push yourself, to demand more. It’s tiring, for sure. But incredibly rewarding.
It’s funny, you know. We see these guys as sports icons, but the principles they lived by – dedication, relentless improvement, competitive spirit – you can actually apply them anywhere. Even to an old piece of code sitting on your hard drive. Maybe I’ll try this on learning to bake bread next, who knows? The “Mamba Bakery,” has a ring to it, eh?
