So what on earth does becoming an A-list blogger have anything to do with the great basketball star Michael Jordan?
This is a very valid question and to find the answer we must look beyond the sport itself and focus on Jordan’s mindset and mental attitude both on and off the court.
There is no denying that Michael Jordan is one of the most well-known and successful athletes in the history of professional sports. His biography on the website for the National Basketball Association states: “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.”
As bloggers, we probably won’t be endorsing any sportswear or winning slam dunk contests but we can greatly benefit by using the mindset and attitude model responsible for Jordan’s mega successful career as a template for our own blogging success.
Would you like to move up the ranks and become an A-list blogger?
Yes? Then learn and apply these lessons taught by the great one himself.
1. Use rejection as a reason to make yourself better, not as an excuse for failure
Many people don’t know that Jordan was once cut from his high school basketball team. Taking light of the rejection, Jordan continued to practice and worked hard to develop his skills. Needless to say, he had no problem making the team the following year. Ironically his high school gym is now named after him.
Being rejected is not easy for anyone. In the world of blogging, the rejection could be the form of an opportunity to guest blog, a JV partnership or even dealing with that dreaded negative commenter. Never take rejection and criticism personally, just go back to the drawing board and if necessary, change whatever needs to be changed or take the time to practice skills not quite up to par. Be passionate about your work and when you’re ready, come back better and stronger than ever before.
Keep in mind, at some point everyone gets knocked down. I'm sure every A-list blogger can share similar stories. It’s easy to stay down and make excuses, but those who succeed are the ones who get up, dust themselves off and keep going after what they really want.
“If you’re trying to achieve there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan
2. Take advantage of your strengths but don’t neglect your weaknesses
Michael Jordan became the first professional basketball player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 3000 points in a single season. He was a very effective weapon on offense but he knew he had other skills that needed improvement. Jordan went to work and focused on improving his defensive game. In 1988 his hard work paid off as he was named the NBA defensive player of the year and was the first ever player to lead the league in both scoring and steals.
Whether we possess certain skills ourselves or rely on outsourcing to experts, as bloggers and online marketers we must have access to many different talents and skillsets. This could include everything from business management, marketing and customer service to technical skills like web design and video production.
It’s okay to be a “Jack of all trades”. Just don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s impossible to be an expert at everything.
Personally take on certain tasks or projects that align with your strengths. These will be tasks that you enjoy, excel at and can accomplish efficiently.
Next, identify your weaknesses and the weaknesses of your business or blog. Do what needs to be done to correct them or better yet, turn them into strengths. This could mean hiring a mentor or coach, learning new skills yourself or even delegating and outsourcing certain tasks to professionals.
“My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength” – Michael Jordan
3. Be unique and stand out from the crowd
When Michael Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984 they had an ugly losing history and were a very unpopular team, barely drawing an attendance of 6000 fans to each home game. This all changed as Jordan’s fierce competitive style along with his incredible jumping ability and hang-time wooed fans and sportswriters throughout the league. The Bulls went on to win 6 NBA championships throughout Jordan’s career.
One thing is for certain; if you’re blogging in a highly competitive niche, then don’t expect to stand out by using the same strategy as everyone else. There are no set guidelines or rules telling you how to become an A-list blogger but you need to think outside the box and do something different that no one else does. This could be as simple as hosting a game or competition or maybe giving away something of incredible value to your visitors. As an A-list blogger you will need to position yourself as a subject matter expert by backing up theories and advice with solid proof and occasional case studies. Be trustworthy, authentic and bold, and don’t be afraid to express personality in your writing.
“If you accept the expectations of others, especially the negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” – Michael Jordan
Still want the status of A-list blogger? You are in control of your own destiny.
Through intense hard work, determination and the right mindset, there are very few things that can prevent you from getting what you really want. This is true for anything from professional sports to building a successful business to getting the washboard abs you've always wanted. Whatever your goals are in life, “be like Mike” and invest no less than 100% of your mind, body and soul into achieving those goals. Don’t be afraid of failure; expect it to happen because it usually will.
The difference lies in how you overcome the failure. Will you just complain about it and make excuses or will you take initiative and continuously keep trying until you find success?
“ I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
Your turn!
What are your thoughts about the points made in this article? Feel free to share your success stories about how you overcame failure or rejection. What steps are you taking to become an A-list blogger?
image credit: Steve Lipofsky basketballphoto.com via Wikimedia
very inspiring
its all about persistence and trial and error
thanks for the post
Oooh Justin!
Interesting post! Thanks for giving such motivation btw.
Yap, my turn, TAKE ACTION!
TAKE ACTION is right! You won’t get anywhere by taking a back seat and watching other people succeed.
How’s this for taking action: creating a blog dedicated to blogging failures; turn it into a “pick me up” for other bloggers? 🙂
It’s always nice to know other people aren’t perfect.
Creative idea for the post, Justin!
Thanks Ana. I learn from the best 😉
Thanks Ana, I learn from the best 😉
We can learn or take inspiration from everything in this world .. Michael Jordan is one of the example . Great post!
I love reason #1, that ‘s how some very successful people become that way – through failures and learning from them. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again! #3 may be a bit harder in some niches but if you can find a way to be unique all the better 🙂
Yes, in certain niches it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. Although this could be something as simple as a unique hat or shirt you wear in public photos or videos. Something to brand yourself that other people will remember in a positive way.
Thanks Justin for the ideas with the clothing to brand oneself. I should order some for the spring when I’m out and about.
Patience and hard work are the root key for success …dont let your efforts down make them count …Thanks
You make an excellent point. Failures are not time lost. They are learning experiences and we need to make them count. These learning experiences are key to achieving success.
As usual Justin, another quality post.
Very valid points here, especially the one about “being unique.” This for me is one of THE single most things people online fail to follow. Being part of a “crowd” and adopting a “crowd” mentality is probably one of the worse things you can do online.
TRUE, there is safety in numbers but “SAFE” from what? who wants to be a majority thinker when the majority of people fail online..
Stand out and stand firm..
Keith
Thanks Keith. Great to see you here. You make some very valid points. This is a difficult one for many people, myself included.
Many new bloggers/internet marketers are taught from the very beginning to copy the methods of the successful people and gurus. While there may be some truth to this, it could also make it more difficult to create your own unique identity and therefore stand out from the crowd.
Michael Jordan has shown that it takes an iron will to turn failure into opportunity. When you try harder, you become luckier.
Creative post to inspire lot of young bloggers. Nothing can be achieved on single night, success needs lot of hard work, patience, perseverance and determination.
The words in your comment describe most great people throughout history.
Hi Justin 🙂
I learned a lot about Michael Jordan today 🙂 but if you had to pick anyone to be an example for us, he would be the best one!
This is a wonderful reminder for us newbies that through hard work and perseverance we can make it through the hard times.
The best tip is the first one. For me personally it was and sometimes still is difficult to handle rejection. That’s when I turn to my mentors and favorite bloggers who have blogged about their rejection experiences and how they got through it, puts me at ease because I know that my situation will pass too.
In regards to my weaknesses, right now, I’m going through the intimidation stage, that feeling that I will never get it, but I’m determined to power through 🙂
One of the first things I learned about blogging is having your own voice, being unique, and blog as if in conversation with friends and having applied that method myself, it is so true. It makes creating content easier.
It was great reading your post and I’m looking forward to reading more. Have a great day.
Rejection can be a hard emotional slap in the face, but the main thing is to never take it personal. The internet is huge and more than likely there will be other (probably better) opportunities out there.
I know of this intimidation stage you speak of. I’ve been there and I would be willing to bet most highly successful people have as well (whether they admit it or not). The main thing is don’t get too hung up on details. Keep taking action whether or not you think your methods are perfectly right. That’s how you learn.
Use rejection as a reason to make yourself better, not as an excuse for failure very nice inspiration line i like it we can use in our blogger life thanks for sharing…..
I liked that one too Rahul. I’m thinking about printing it out and hanging it on my office wall. Maybe someday my quotes will be all over the place like Tony Robbins, haha… Glad you liked it.
I don’t often comment on guest posts, even though I wrote one here, but this one I am going to comment on.
Very nice job! I love writing posts like this, finding things others can relate to blogging, and you got it right. Blogging is more of an art than most people believe, thus it takes time and nurturing. Getting it right is pretty much just writing, but going over the top, giving oneself the ability to reach and touch others in higher numbers, takes dedication, creativity, and that spark of being something different than the norm.
Yup, liked this one; since I’m not there pat yourself on the back. 🙂
It seems most every profession has that elite, “highly desired” status that takes extreme dedication, commitment, perseverance and more hard work than most people would ever commit to. Having these qualities is what makes great people great.
Thanks for the comment Mitch. Glad you liked the post.
Fantastic post, Justin.
Becoming an A-List blogger is definitely a goal I have my eyes set on. I’m taking the necessary steps to increase my exposure by building relationships with other top bloggers and guest posting for them. As well as doing my best to give away as much free and valuable information as possible. I have high quality standards and I want to be known for consistently over delivering with the content I create.
So far, I’ve done 2 guest posts that have been received well and I have one more lined up to be published on another popular blog in my niche. I have a full blown game plan and I’m following the necessary steps to get there.
Thanks for sharing such a creative and informative post with us. I appreciate your contribution!
Ti
Ti, it sounds like you’re on your way to the top. Since you have a good game plan and are sticking to it, you have a huge advantage over the majority. Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
I love looking back a how Jordan became such a icon. Did you know he was such an awkward actor in his commercials, they decided to just have him read. His voice overs have inspired so many people. They played to his strengths: his presence and athletic ability. It turned into an innovative marketing campaign that continues in his brand today.
It shows us that we should play to our own strengths.
Here is my personal favorite called:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zSVu76AX3I
Thanks for the article.
I don’t recall seeing that one before. Thanks for sharing Alex. It’s a good one.
This is indeed another marvelous post. Rejection is part of the game and really ought not to be taken as a downfall. This post conforms with a post I recently on my blog with regards to ‘What Mahatma Gandhi can teach you about blogging’
It’s all about how you bounce back from the rejection. Although it can be difficult, it should make you work harder, not feel sorry for yourself and quit.
Justin, this is a really great article. There are many lessons here that are so relevant it is hard for me to single out any one in particular. Michael Jordan has walked the talk and has gained all the rewards for doing just that.
Great presentation!
Nice to see you here Stanley. Glad you like the article.
Hello Justin.
Your article is very interesting, I like reason # 1.
Thank you for sharing this interesting article, Good Luck Brother!
uniqueness is the vital rule to become a list blogger, every blogger should be unique and stand out from the crowd in order to become a pro blogger, in this way one can get a lots of traffic as well…
This seems to be one area that many people struggle with. Everyone has their own voice and unique personality.
I believe bloggers need to let their own “unique” personality show in their writing instead of trying to copy everyone else’s methods.
Quite inspiring!
Persistence is key brother. There are surely obstacles and hindrances on the way. Sometimes, you feel no one is willing to help. All seems to be working against you but rebuild your strength and pickup. There are surely going to be moments of weakness and rejection but like Jordan, Keep pushing till you find the star in you
Very true Enstine. For most people this is much easier said than done but the people that push through are the ones that end up being featured in inspirational blog posts 😉
HI Justin
Great post!
I think #1 can be used as the stepping stone to success but how to work on #3 I’m still learning.
Thanks for sharing this.
Sapna
Becoming unique seems to be a difficult one for many. Maybe it needs it’s very own blog post sometime down the line 🙂 The main thing is, don’t go out and put all the work into reinventing the wheel, just improve upon things that are already working.
Thanks for this too, am currently loving all the posts on your blog.
Thanks for stopping by. Glad you enjoy them.
Nice and great post to inspire young bloggers like me. Patience, hard work and dedication are key to success.
I love the way you explained… it is helpful for passionate bloggers….
Cheers…
Probably one of the greatest takeaways from this stellar post is “Jordan continued to practice and worked hard to develop his skills.”
Why?
I feel most people don’t understand that blogging and everything that goes with it is actually a skill that can be developed. The successful don’t usually get there by chance, but by learning the proper skills and actually applying them.
Thanks a bunch!
-Gabe Johansson
You’re welcome Gabe. Glad you enjoyed it.
You’re right. I used to think that you had to have a natural talent for writing in order to be a blogger. This is not necessarily the case. I will never claim to be a professional writer or blogger but I have come a long way. Literature and writing were my worst classes in school 🙂
My mistake is my power that boost me up.
As a huge MJ fan I love this post. It is a Great post in keeping myself new and improved daily. Focus on what I am good at and never neglect my weaknesses.
Thanks!
Thanks Joe. I’m happy you find this post useful.
I have heard that Michael Jordan got Cut from his High School Basketball Team once, he locked himself in a room and Cried and Today he is Most Successful Basketball Player because of Uniqueness. Not only Michael but every one who is Successful was Unique in some ways
Interesting, I didn’t know that. It almost seems humorous to picture the legendary MJ crying due to being cut from the team after all he has accomplished.
Hey Justin,
First of all a good post and the points mention are awesome.
First 2 points I like the most because they are really worth reading and the “3 point” all we are aware that we have to be unique!
If we do Hard Work then no one can stop us in the World to reach at a very high Level!
Thanks for sharing this great Post! 🙂 😀
Regards,
Sohil Memon.
Michael Jordan among many other great people of our time and throughout history prove that it is possible to achieve our dreams if we want them bad enough. Thanks for your comment Sohil.
Thanks for sharing this article, its nice,
To be successful you should keep learning as much as you can.
You should learn new things from every person you see.
Great point Sahil. This world changes too fast. Nobody can possibly know everything so we should always be open to learning from everyone.
MJ’s failures and successes are truly inspiring. It only proves that nothing is impossible if we strive hard and never give up on our goals.
It’s nice to know that even the great people are imperfect like the rest of us. Thanks for the comment Sarah.
Good article Justin
I am a big fan of Michael Jordan 🙂
well I guess , point number 3 is the most hardest and the most important factor. Nowadays almost all blogging niches are getting over-saturated. Getting success on Internet was much more easier before .But now you need to earn your success and being unique is the most important factor of becoming a successful leader in the web and blogging world.
Yes, being unique is very important and very difficult for most people. But I believe most people are making it too difficult. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel, just build upon what already works.
Thanks for sharing informative post. I am big fan of Jordan, you have really compared well with him. Now I will be using this tips
Thanks for the article.
On “don’t neglect your weaknesses” I am in favour of outsourcing. However, to outsource successfully you need to have an understanding of the tasks you want others to do. I am able to do the tasks I outsource myself although it will take me ages to do them. Thus, I outsource.
A few weaknesses have turned into strengths along the way. By learning what to do before outsourcing I found some tasks quite easy to accomplish myself.
Never stop learning but know your limits and protect your time.
Soren, I really like the last sentence of your comment.
“Never stop learning but know your limits and protect your time.”
This should be the manta for every new blogger and online marketer. There is so much out there to learn but we have to draw a line and begin taking action or we will get nowhere.
Interesting parallel between a big champion like Michael and blogging. I totally agree with your comparison and I also think that on the long run only bloggers that write unique content will succeed.
Content is king (no pun intended). It always has been and always will be. Thanks for your comment Julian.
I thought Jordan was just simply a natural. Look at the way he moves and make those shots. He makes it look so easy. Turns he did train and exerted preparatory efforts just like the rest.
“The difference lies in how you overcome the failure. ”
I was on my way up when Panda and Penguin hit the blogosphere. My income online took a dive and I got really discouraged because it was not like I was using spamming techniques or dirty seo to get to where I was. So, I laid off for a couple of years. Two long years which I could have productively used to make myself a better webmaster instead of wallowing in pity and Google-hatred.
Google made a lot of webmasters wallow in pity over the last several years. The main thing is you learn from your lost time and use the learning experience to make your business even better and your perseverance stronger.
Jordon is good on his place but right now I’m following Mark Zukerberg and Now know i’m going after my fellow enemy bloggers because once he said,if you want to have success in your life then you have to make some enemies.
Remind me not to get on your bad side Salman 🙂
Good stuff. I like the second example the most because I think at the end of the day, its a balance about improving ourselves on other aspects without spreading ourselves too thin in return. Its easy to think that we are exerting effort on getting better however its not easy to notice or even admit that the disadvantage of doing that is stretching ourselves too much in a bad way.
There is always work to be done, in my case way too much. I believe bloggers must in some aspect be a “Jack of all trades”, but as said in the article, you can’t be an expert at everything.
From everybody and everywhere we can learn something in this case we learn of mr Michael Jordan. Great article thanks for sharing.
Hi Justin – good article… I do quite a bit of coaching (as in life coaching) and what you say is quite right – a lot of what you can accomplish is dependent on your attitude to what you’re doing. (Although in MJs case I think being famous already helps breed more success much more easily than if you’re a new blogger starting up!)
I suppose that could be the case, but being famous could have the opposite effect as well. Look at how many people just throw their lives away with drugs, alcohol, etc. once they become famous.
“Never take rejection and criticism personally, just go back to the drawing board and if necessary, change whatever needs to be changed or take the time to practice skills not quite up to par.”
Thanks. This is true. Sometimes, you can’t always see rejection. It may not come as negative comment but just no comment at all. That’s harder to deal with . But at that times, yes, you’ve got to figure out why that’s the case. Maybe the skills aren’t up to par.
Or, if you think of it in a “glass half full” way, no comments on your post could mean that you already said all there is to say and people feel there is nothing more to add 🙂
Michael Jordan can also teach you to never give up! He can also teach you to never come back out of retirement — his gig with the Wizards wasn’t too good 🙂
LOL! Not to mention his experience playing professional baseball.
As mentioned in the post, it’s impossible to be an expert at everything 🙂
Jack of all traits or master of one? 😉
very good comparison!! I never thought that Michael Jordan may help me with my blog – really original.
I agree with you that it´s really important to be aware of your strengths, in order to take the most of them
Congrats for the post!
hello Justin,
i am telling you really i am a big fan of Jordan,i love to see his matches but i don`t know that he has such a inspiring story really your article teaches me that hardwork is the key of success,
thanks for sharing the inspiring story of jordan
Glad you could take something from this article. Thanks for your comment Mohd.
We all as bloggers have our own individual strengths and weaknesses. If we are able to handle both, we can surely become a good blogger in no time. Continuous efforts towards writing good content and maintaining an online reputation might also be one important point to be kept in mind.
Good point. Maintaining a good online reputation is very important. Think about the athletes this post could have been written about in addition to Michael Jordan but instead tainted their popularity with a bad reputation: Tiger Woods, or as someone else mentioned, Lance Armstrong?
Well, I love basketball and love blogging – never thought the two could ever be combined, but really enjoyed this article. Never quit, through hard work comes rewards.
Is it just me or does anyone else here thinks that Basic Blog Tips have some of THE best guest bloggers on the Internet? You are definitely one of the best writers I’ve ever had the pleasure reading from Justin! Your article draws me in from the headline all the way to the end! Thank you for sharing with us these wonderful tips!
Thank you Ardiv. I’m very flattered. You have caused my ego to swell 🙂
I’ve just finished writing an article following your style of writing, keeping it fun and not too serious! I’m having a great time applying your approach adding a little bit of personal touch, and now I feel like I’ve found my preferred way to write! Thank you Justin!
P.S. This is not a flattery, you really did impact me with your writing 🙂
Michael Jordan was always the best and will always be.
His work ethic was crazy and his work ethic is what brought him the results you see.
Same for the blogger.
Be consistent in your work and have the same crazy work ethic he had 🙂
A great work ethic definitely brings results but it’s also very difficult to maintain.
micheal jordan is the key player who came from failure towards success when he has not selected in local team
Michael Jordan.. the flying man. Very creative and niche post to inspire lot of young bloggers and basketball players !!!!!
Love the headline and the article is exquisite as well. Just like Michael Jordan said, we are going to fail over and over again but if we keep on trying, there will come a time when we’ll also succeed! Amen!
The difficult part is maintaining “stickibility” and not throwing in the towel after each failure.
Micheal Jordan,lance Armstrong (before doping) these player are the inspirational role model for everyone how to achieve success which always begins with failure is taught by them
Yes ! you are absolutely right, one must not lose heart on the grounds of traffic, but update the blog on regular basis to get some handsome income from blogging. You have come up with beautiful tips and tricks, just keep it up.
You need traffic to make money. One of the best ways to bring traffic is by keeping the quality blog updates coming. Thanks for the comment Saima.
Really Jordan sir i love your line you listed above ” Use rejection as a reason to make yourself better, not as an excuse for failure”.I also face many failures in my life.But every time i learnt something from that failure and now i’m well stand.This is the best post for those bloggers who loose their hopes in blogging.Any way Great post sir
Thanks, glad you like the post. It’s good to hear that you are learning from your mistakes.
I love Jordan and I love reading your articles. Aside from you will learn from it it is very inspiring too. Just like Jordan life is a roller coaster and so with being a blogger.
Micheal Jordan is always an inspiration. In every field, you have to work hard if you fail then keep trying until you succeed. And the most important, never loose hope.
Hey Justin,
Nice post and Thanks for sharing this post with us. We all got lots of inspiration from this guy called Michael. I really like the third point of be unique.
Great post lol! Looking to step up my blogging, so I really needed this.
Great read and very informative Justin. Excellent content is going to do well on any relevant website and it is what has kept people returning to your blog website.
Love #2.
If you’re strong point is being creative, but your grammar is lacking then you know where you to need to put some of your efforts. Like in basketball, it’s easy to focus on the good parts of your skill-set and discouraging to focus on the weaker aspects. I believe true winners in ANYTHING acknowledge their weak points and work to make them better.
Great stuff Justin.