The Boring Stuff Wins

In a world obsessed with flash, shortcuts, and highlight reels, the real key to greatness often hides in the last place people want to look: the boring stuff.

No one understood that better than Gregg Popovich.

When “Pop” took over the San Antonio Spurs nearly three decades ago, no one imagined that his legacy would stretch far beyond banners or trophies. Over time, the Spurs became more than a small-market basketball team. They became the blueprint for sustainable excellence.

Built on three simple but profound pillars—care deeply about people, tell the truth, and hold the standard every day—Pop created a culture that transcended sport. He didn’t just coach players. He coached people. He demanded discipline but led with heart. He coached the human being first, the basketball player second.

That mindset shaped not just the NBA, but classrooms, boardrooms, and locker rooms all over the world.

At Major League Mindset, we teach a version of that very same philosophy. We don’t focus on chasing trophies. We train people to become the kind of person who earns them, day in and day out, through process, identity, and mental performance that never depends on external results.

This philosophy was recently passed down in a way that stopped me in my tracks.

After Popovich suffered a stroke early in the 2024–25 NBA season, a little-known assistant coach named Mitch Johnson was thrust into the spotlight. At just 36 years old, he was named interim head coach. And just months later, officially became the 19th head coach in Spurs franchise history.

A few weeks ago, during opening night of the 2025–26 season, with the Spurs already up by 25 points, Coach Johnson leaned into his team during a nationally televised timeout and delivered a message that felt ripped straight from the MLM playbook:

“Possession by possession. Dismantle them in the half court. Play fast. Get back. Do it again. Be disciplined to be disciplined. Like and embrace the boring. The mundane. Stops. Rebounds. Fundamentals. Discipline. Physical. Rebound. Transition. Pace. Fundamentals. Again and again.”

“Be disciplined to be disciplined. Like and embrace the boring. The mundane.”

That line could be the thesis for Major League Mindset.

Because here’s the truth: Greatness is not built in the spotlight. It’s built in the shadows. In the early mornings. In the reps no one sees. In the breathing routine no one claps for. In the mental reps, the habits, and the routines that stack over time.

At MLM, we don’t chase outcomes. We build identities.

We train athletes and high performers to fall in love with the unseen work—to take pride in the reps, the process, and the self-talk that no one else hears.

Why?

Because it’s the only thing that sustains under pressure.

It’s what I leaned on in Game 7 of the World Series, when I stepped into the box against Aroldis Chapman in front of 35,000 screaming fans.

It wasn’t talent or hype that carried me. It was repetition. It was the boring stuff. It was years of visualization, breathwork, mental preparation, and the same self-talk routines I had practiced thousands of times.

It was what we teach inside MLM every day:

Control the Controllables. Bring It On. Day 1, Pitch 1.

This isn't a theory. It's life-tested, game-tested, pressure-tested.

And it’s more important now than ever.

Because we live in a world where attention spans are short, gratification is instant, and everyone’s chasing the next viral moment. But real competitors, real leaders, and real winners are anchored in a different rhythm.

They’re not chasing dopamine.

They’re chasing discipline.

They’re doing the boring stuff. Again. And again. And again.

Be disciplined to be disciplined. Like and embrace the boring. The mundane.

That’s not just a powerful quote from a young coach. It’s a call to arms for every athlete, coach, parent, executive, and leader who wants to play the long game.

Because the scoreboard will fluctuate. The spotlight will shift. And the world will always try to sell you a shortcut.

But the standard? The standard never changes.

At Major League Mindset, we’re here to help you live it. Not just in the big moments, but in the small ones that stack toward greatness.

If you want to perform like a pro, you’ve got to train like one. Not occasionally. Not when it’s convenient. But every day. Especially when it’s hard. Especially when it’s boring.

That’s the edge. That’s the separator. That’s the work.

MLM is for the ones who are ready to choose it.