Mamba Mentality for Writers

Everyday practices to become great

“The mindset isn’t about seeking a result — it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life.” — Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality.

I read Kobe Bryant’s “The Mamba Mentality” this past March when the world was shutting down, and I found myself on a flight to Florida to visit my parents. Bad timing for the trip, no doubt, but it was the perfect time to read this book.

I’ve always respected masters of their craft, no matter the field in which they dominated. Kobe Bryant’s mastery of basketball is without question. The Mamba Mentality offers readers an in-depth insight into the mindset of a dominant master of his craft.

I’ve reflected on Bryant’s definition of the mamba mentality off and on since reading the passage. It’s more than a mindset solely for athletes. It’s a mindset for anyone looking to reach their goals and become more than they are in their field of focus.

Here’s how writers can implement the mamba mentality:

Be Fearless

When looking to add or improve an element in your writing, jump in without hesitation. As beginners, it didn’t matter if we messed up and made mistakes. We were happy to be learning and trying. For some reason, a fear of failure develops as we progress, and it makes us step away from areas in our writing we don’t excel in and double down in places we already do.

The practice of leaning into your strengths and ignoring your weakness will not make you a great writer. You must push through your fears and dare to be better where you are weak. It doesn’t matter if you fail in the beginning, keep your result in mind and push through.

Imitate the Greats

Study prolific and award-winning writers you admire. Dig deep into their process and figure them out. Do they write before sunrise, take mid-day walks, people-watch in their neighborhood park, or dabble in painting to soothe their creative mind?

Figure out the greats and what worked for them and then see if it works for you. Keep the habits that fit your lifestyle and let go of what doesn’t.

Strong body, stronger mind

It’s not enough to only train your mind during your journey to becoming a great writer. You also must consider your body and make sure you’re doing what’s necessary to remain fit.

As writers, we spend lots of hours in a chair exercising our minds as we write. It’s hard work, and our bodies take a beating after remaining stationary for such long periods. Aches and pains develop, stiffness rears its ugly head, and before you know it, you’re physically unable to sit for long stretches, and if you can’t sit, your writing will surely suffer.

Find a way to implement regular exercise into your routine and notice the improvement in your writing.

If you plan on writing for many years to come, you’ll need your health to do so. No way around this fact of life.

Get Your Head in the Game

Mental preparation is vital before you begin writing. If you’re tired or melancholy, try playing energetic or aggressive music to boost your intensity.

If you’re too keyed up and distracted, try soothing music from a time in your life that takes you back to calmer times. Maybe 80s pop is your mind settler?

Sometimes a few deep breaths in silence are the best answer to mentally preparing for the work ahead. Whatever the case may be, knowing your headspace and preparing is invaluable to the writing process.

Ask Questions

Unlike cats, I haven’t heard of curiosity killing writers. If you want to improve, learn, and truly understand the craft of writing, you need to shelve your ego and ask questions.

Reach out to a mentor, instructors, contemporaries, or editors. They’ll either appreciate your curiosity and passion, or they won’t, which is okay. However, it’s better to ask and risk rejection upfront than to have your work rejected later.

Keep in mind; most people are happy to help and feel flattered you care about their opinion at all.

Just Do It

No matter what. Show up and put the time and work into your craft. Even on the days, you don’t feel like it. Just do it. It’s going to take hard work and dedication to become a great writer, and there’s only one person who’s going to make that happen, you.

The routine of it all may get tedious at times, and some days will feel like you’re dragging your body through the sand to get your page count in for the day, but this is the work that must get done to reach your goals.

Suck it up and get it done. There are no easy paths to greatness.

“If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That’s totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody.” — Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality.

To say I’ve spent a few moments, considering the above passage would be an understatement. Questioning your commitment and sacrifice is a personal observation; many of us would rather not shine a light on it.

It’s easier to blame outside forces for coming up short, but deep down, we all know our level of greatness rests on our shoulders.

There’s only one question you must answer. Do you have the mamba mentality?

Source material: The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant