People love to watch other people fight. Maybe it’s our competitive nature. Maybe it’s the inherent danger and uncertainty of combat. Whatever the reason, millions of people are enamored with combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts. Myself included.
Millions are also enamored with UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Maybe it’s his rags-to-riches story we admire; the fact that he rose from welfare and obscurity to wealth and international super stardom. Maybe it’s his loyalty and that he remembers his roots; McGregor has had the same group of people around since day one.
Whether you’re a fan or not though, there’s still much to be learned from McGregor and his rise to fame. What follows are four insightful quotes of his sure to inspire you to fight for success. And make no mistake, it’s absolutely a fight because nobody is just going to give it to you.
1. “I am cocky in prediction, I am confident in preparation, but I’m always humble in victory.”
Cockiness gets a bad wrap as far as character traits go, but extreme self-assertiveness has it’s benefits, too. Especially if it in encourages you to push yourself to the limit — or beyond — come preperation time. That’s because self talk isn’t pseudoscience: The benefits are real and can positively — or negatively — influence your performance come game time.
2. “It may be round in circles, but it’s up.”
Sometimes it may not feel like you’re going up, but that’s because few things are black and white or, in this case, up and down. Sometimes success is a lot like climbing a spiral staircase.
That’s why it’s important to persist anyway. Eventually, you’ll recognize the elevation change — which leads to why this next McGregor quote is so important.
3. “Through wins, through losses, through life… I’m in the gym.”
There will be days you don’t feel motivated or inspired. Perhaps you’ll feel afraid or uncertain about your next steps. Feelings like this are inevitable.. and debilitating. If not confronted, these feelings can derail your progress.
This McGregor quote perfectly encapsulates the solution: discipline. Discipline is what will keep you on track through ups, downs, lows and highs. Discipline is waking up and doing what you have to do irrespective of your mood, environmental factors or anything else.
Just because you don’t want to do something doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. In fact, in many cases just the opposite is true: you have to do do those tasks you don’t want to do. They’re probably the most important ones.
4. “People say a loss can make or break a fighter, but a win can also make or break a fighter because they get comfortable with a win and slack off.”
This, like the last quote, goes back to discipline. A loss can destroy your confidence and a win can make you overconfident. Neither option is good. The solution is to keep an objective, level-headed and disciplined approach to your training — and your life.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.