The Life You Imagine

Determination is definitely something Jeter and I have in common and determination is such an important word when you really want something.

In the following three chapters of Jeter’s autobiography, Jeter talks about how he has failed many times in his life before he got to where he is today.  I think that is really important to mention when writing a book on how to succeed.  Many people think that people such as Derek Jeter have gotten very far in the blink of an eye and did not need to work to get there, which is completely impossible to do.  Derek Jeter had to work just as hard as any other baseball player to get to the Yankees and he continues to work hard to maintain his spot on the team.  What I really found interesting is that Jeter says that his younger sister, Sharlee, was a lot more of a natural athlete than he was.  She did not have to practice nearly as hard as Jeter, and she was just as good.

Another thing Jeter drills into your mind throughout these chapters is there is always room for improvement.  Even if you are the MVP of the year, you are always going to have some sort of weak area, in which you can work on.  Something I really agree with him on is that you should always take the chance to get better.  For example, a private hitting coach was available to help Jeter, if he wanted, over the off season after the Yankees won the World Series in 1997.  That year, Jeter was named “Rookie of the Year,” had a .327 average, and 10 homeruns.  Now did Jeter absolutely have to take this extra practice while all of his teammates were home with their families?  No.  But did he take this chance?  Yes.