Photo courtesy of ABC 7 News NYC

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with stories of people who took the unconventional path to success.

I study their thought process, their habits, and their strategies to figure out why they did what they did.

Maybe because I knew I was at a disadvantage. Coming from a third-world country. Being a minority in North America. Growing up as a sick kid. Failing 17 courses in my undergraduate degree. Failing 2 startups.

Or maybe because I’m very competitive.

Whatever the reason, finding an unconventional path towards achieving my goals has helped me throughout my personal life and career.

I started my New Year reading about Darius Bazley, an NBA player that chartered a completely different path to playing professional basketball.

The conventional path for most NBA players was to play for a year in college. He already signed up to play for Syracuse University but eventually decided to give up college. He took a year off from organized basketball to work on his game individually and work as an intern for New Balance.

A year later, he signed up as a rookie with the Oklahoma City Thunders and eventually played for the Phoenix Suns.

While I’m not a sports guy and by no means have any expertise to comment on his playing abilities, I can easily identify patterns that lead to success. Because these are the same patterns that I see in people who have achieved similar levels of success in other fields.

Let’s take a look at what Bazley did differently that allowed him to end up in the big leagues – without following the traditional path.

He had a bold goal

His early interviews had a consistent theme: “My dream, for as long as I can remember, has been to play in the NBA.”

Everyone who achieved something great had this in common: BOLD GOAL.

They knew exactly what they wanted.

And regardless of the path they take, they keep their eyes on their goal.

It’s also interesting how this simple statement – play in the NBA – packs so many details in its simplicity.

Obviously, it’s an incredibly audacious goal.

The NBA is considered to be the premiere professional basketball league in the world. You don’t get to that level and not be considered the “best in the world.”

In an attempt at oversimplification, Bazley dreams of being the best in the world in the area of professional basketball.

In contrast, most people early in their careers start off with “I want to get a full time job.”

I’ll let you come up with your own definition of what that statement means.

But one thing is for sure. That goal doesn’t scream, “I want to be the best in the world at what I do.”

If I was running an NBA team, I’m definitely going to recruit somebody who can win championships.

Question: Is your career goal championship worthy? Or do you simply want a job?

He was a trailblazer

Trailblazers are people who are willing to pursue unchartered territory.

That’s a scary thought.

The mere fact that you are trying to do something that nobody has ever done before should be enough reason not to do it.

You’ll be criticized.

You’ll be ridiculed.

You’ll be mocked.

You’ll hear insults.

People will call you stupid.

Even experts will say “You won’t make it.”

And that’s exactly what Syracuse University coach Jim Boeheim said about Bazley. Ouch.

But trailblazers are wired differently. They also think differently.

In one article, he commented on going to college this way, “I looked at all of them the same way: As a one-year stop before declaring for the NBA draft.”

And since his goal was to play in the NBA, he pursued a path that would get him there faster – the G League.

Not only did he find the best path for him to achieve his goal, he did it faster than the traditional way of going to college.

And he didn’t just stop there. He came up with a way where he will be learning more than just basketball. He got a 1-year internship with New Balance on their marketing team.

Question: Are you willing to pursue unconventional ways to achieve your dream faster? Or do you simply want to do what everyone else is doing?

He put himself in the right environment to grow

I was trying my best to understand what was going through his head when he made a decision to do a marketing internship. Why not just focus on basketball if that’s what he really wanted, right?

I mean, I asked myself this question, “What was I thinking about as an 18-year-old?”

At 18, I was already dreaming big – running a tech consulting company while learning about sales.

But Bazley stayed true to his goal. Even when working as a marketing intern at New Balance.

An article that highlighted his internship experience wrote: “I was in an environment where I was forced to grow up. I really got to see what professionalism was, what it looked like, how to attack every day. I grew up as a man…It was the little things throughout the process that helped to shape and mold me.”

He put himself in an environment where he is forced to grow.

Now, you might be thinking, “What does this have anything to do with playing in the NBA?”

Everything.

Because the NBA isn’t just about playing basketball.

It’s about working with team mates.

It’s about learning how to promote teams to increase ticket sales.

It’s about interacting with other stakeholders like the team owners and concessionaires.

It’s about knowing which ads would have the best return on advertising investment.

He wanted to grow beyond just becoming the best professional basketball player in the world.

In contrast, most people who are starting out in their careers are simply satisfied with learning what the job requires of them.

They’re too scared to step outside of their comfort zone…too timid to take on more responsibilities.

I’ll be brutally honest. Simply working a full time job is not the right environment for you to grow personally and professionally.

That’s why you hear people’s stories about working the same job for years – yet not getting promoted nor qualifying for new opportunities.

Question: Are you putting yourself in the right environment where you are forced to grow? Or are you simply doing what everyone else is?

He had a great work ethic

As a professional athlete, Bazley knew he still needed to work on his basketball skills to be at the NBA-level caliber.

So, what did he do?

He worked doubly hard.

He would wake up early in the morning and get an on-court workout in before his 9-to-5 internship started.

From there, he would typically eat and hit the weight room during lunch.

After wrapping up his afternoon at the office, he would have a second basketball workout that would sometimes result in him getting home around midnight.

From there, it was time to go to bed and start the process all over again.

He still had his sights set on his bold goal of playing in the NBA.

So, his work ethic and his daily routine reflected that.

I used to complain about this kind of work ethic. Of putting in the grind and outworking my peers.

Because it demands so much from me – my health, my energy, my relationships, my time.

Until I realized, it’s the very reason why I’ve achieved my goals much faster than my peers.

And because I’ve built the habits and routine over the years, I no longer have to work as hard as before to achieve my goals.

Question: Does your work ethic reflect your goal? Or are you just doing the bare minimum?

He had a great coach

Not all coaches are created equal. And Bazley knew that.

That’s why he and his mom approached Rich Paul.

Rich Paul is a prominent sports agent who became known as LeBron James’ friend and agent.

One thing that may not be that obvious to most people. Rich Paul dropped out of college.

I’m not here to criticize a broken educational system. But I do see a similar pattern with successful people.

They ask help from people who have already achieved what they wanted to achieve.

Knowing Bazley isn’t going to college, Paul did his best to find the best way to spend his time while waiting for the G League.

One article highlighted the reason why Paul did what he did with Bazley: “For who he is, regardless of what happens in the rest of his life, he’ll have a head start. He’ll know more about the business around the game than anybody in his class based upon what he’ll learn.”

A great coach has your best interest in mind.

A great coach believes in you even before you believe in yourself.

It was Paul who came up with the idea of the New Balance internship. Syracuse University coach Jim Boeheim was the one who said, “This is not the way to the NBA. I think it will cost him.”

And a great coach will make you accountable.

It was Paul’s idea to still do workouts while doing the New Balance internship.

In contrast, most people early on in their careers would just listen to any expert in their field.

They would ask for advice from somebody who has been working the same job they wanted to pursue.

There’s nothing wrong with asking for advice from an expert…if being an expert is all you want.

They’re the very experts who will tell you to get a university degree, get a ton of certifications, get an entry-level job just to get experience.

But they don’t have a BOLD GOAL…

They’re not trailblazers…

They don’t put themselves in the right environment to grow…

Their work ethic does not reflect their bold goal…

And, then, they wonder why, after doing everything they thought they needed to do, they still are not achieving great things.

Having a great coach was the best career decision – and investment – I’ve ever made. I just wished I did it earlier in my career instead of waiting for 15 years to finally pull the plug.

Having a great coach allowed me to see my greatness even before I saw it in myself.

Having a great coach allowed me to have bigger, bolder goals…be in a better environment to force myself to grow…

Question: Are you still trying to figure things out on your own? Or are you ready to invest in a coach that can help you achieve your goals much faster than you ever thought possible?

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The New Year is a great opportunity for me to do self-reflection.

It’s when I’ll review what I’ve accomplished in the previous year and plan for what’s ahead.

It’s also an opportunity for me to do a gut check: Based on what I’ve accomplished this past year, am I still pursuing bigger goals?

Am I still learning and growing?

Am I constantly stepping outside of my comfort zone?

My answer to these questions will determine what I’ll accomplish in the next 12 months.