the rent for greatness
There’s a saying that has echoed in locker rooms and boardrooms alike:
Excellence isn’t inherited. It’s rented. And rent is due every day.
That’s not just a catchy phrase. It’s a way of life. And few embody it more right now than Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts.
Hurts has been doubted, replaced, and tested at every stage of his career. Yet time and again, he rises. Not because he lives in the past, but because he refuses to let yesterday’s success cover today’s bill.
Recently, Hurts said it best himself:
“Nothing that I’ve accomplished in the past will get me what I desire in the future.”
That mindset is the very definition of growth. And it’s the exact kind of mentality we train every day inside Major League Mindset.
The Danger of Yesterday’s Wins
At MLM, we teach athletes that confidence cannot come from results alone. If it does, you’ll ride the emotional roller coaster forever—up when you succeed, crushed when you fail.
Yesterday’s win doesn’t guarantee today’s focus. Yesterday’s trophy doesn’t fuel today’s discipline. Yesterday’s highlight reel doesn’t protect you from tomorrow’s adversity.
Hurts understands this. His discipline, faith, and composure are not built on what he has already done. They are built on what he chooses to do today. That’s why he continues to progress when others plateau.
Growth is a Daily Payment
One of our core principles at MLM is that identity comes before outcome. You don’t win more by chasing wins. You win more by becoming the kind of person who shows up with consistency, clarity, and resilience.
That’s the real rent of greatness. It’s paid in daily routines, in the small details, in the “unsexy” work that nobody photographs.
It’s journaling when no one else will. It’s flushing failure when it would be easier to sulk. It’s breathwork when the pressure rises. It’s visualization when the doubts creep in.
These habits don’t guarantee you’ll win the next game. But they guarantee you’ll show up ready, grounded, and unshakable no matter what happens.
Lessons for Athletes, Parents, and Coaches
Hurts’ journey offers lessons for all of us.
For athletes: Greatness isn’t built on hype. It’s built on discipline when the cameras are off.
For parents: Your athlete doesn’t need more pressure. They need you modeling consistency and resilience at home.
For coaches: Setting the standard matters more than any speech. Standards lived daily create cultures that last.
Excellence is never a destination. The mountaintop is just a vantage point to see the next climb.
The Major League Mindset Way
At MLM, we exist to help athletes, parents, and coaches train this exact mentality. Not motivational fluff. Not quick fixes. Systems. Routines. Habits. A playbook for the mental game.
Because the truth is simple: everyone wants greatness until they see the invoice. The rent is discipline. The rent is growth. The rent is showing up, again and again, no matter what yesterday looked like.
Jalen Hurts is paying his in full. Are you?
Your Next Step
The MLM+ App was built to give you the daily tools to train this mindset. Inside, you’ll find visualization sessions, journaling prompts, reset routines, and much more—the very practices that transform the mental game into something repeatable, reliable, and unshakable.
Because greatness is not in the trophy. It’s in the relentless choice to rise, to evolve, to pay the rent today for tomorrow’s excellence.
Start training with MLM+ and pay your rent of greatness.
-Brandon
