Floyd Mayweather Work Ethic, How to Have the Hard Work & Dedication of TBE

It’s no secret that Floyd Mayweather is one of the most successful athletes of all time, and there is no doubt as to how. If you know anything about Floyd, you know his mantra is “Hard Work, Dedication!” It is through that hard work and dedication that Floyd has received everything that he has in life. That includes his money, his cars, his girls, his lifestyle, and most importantly, his “TBE” status. The good news is, Floyd’s approach to his craft, is applicable in any field, so let’s talk about how you can have a Floyd Mayweather work ethic in anything that you do.

Work When You Don’t Feel Like it

A lot of people out there wait until they feel good to get something done. However, the reality of being human is that most of the time, you’re going to feel lazy. Biologically we are wired to be lazy, and for our ancestors, it was a survival mechanism. The key was to conserve as much energy between meals as possible so that you can save it for the hunt.

The bad news is, our biology hasn't caught up to the way the world works today, and those of excellence have to find ways to push themselves. On the many of HBO’s “24/7” or Showtime’s “All Access” episodes, Mayweather is seen dragging himself to the gym when he is exhausted. He trains after speaking events, press tours and goes for runs in the middle of the night.

Often he can be found in the gym training at 3 in the morning. In one episode, he discussed how he would rather be watching movies in his theatre, but he has the discipline to push himself.

No matter what day it is, no matter how you feel on that day, show up to work and give it 100%.

Work Overtime

One of the things that Mayweather was known for is working at all hours of the day. Floyd spends more time training than most people spend working at their desk. A grueling regimen of 60 hours a week of non-stop training has helped  Floyd be as good as he is.

Most fighters, believe it or not, train about 20 to a max of 30 hours a week, Floyd often doubles that. When looking at those numbers, it’s no mystery why Floyd’s numbers(record/earnings) look as good as they do. No matter what Floyd has got going on, he always puts in his work for the day. He constantly puts in the extra effort.

Which brings us to our next point…

Rise Above the Standard - Do More Than Everyone Else

A lot of times, if you aren't successful in your craft, it comes down to either laziness or ignorance of the facts, both of which you're in control of. Every industry, sport, and activity has a standard. Having been around boxing his whole life, Mayweather knows what other fighters do and the typical standard that they all follow.

Most fighters do similar training protocols that come with an X number of rounds on the bag, X number of rounds of sparring and X number of miles run. Floyd, however, looks at the standard and tries to double or triple it.

Instead of sparring rounds, he usually does non stop sparring matches, same with hitting the bag. He can do a circuit of back to back heavy bag, pads, jump rope, the body bag and speed bag with minimal breaks in between. Very rarely does he train with the standard 3 minute round/1 minute break format and when he does, he outdoes the standard procedure.

All you have to do is apply that same mentality to any sport or field you are in. For example, it has always confused me when sprinters get destroyed in competition. You knew what you were facing before you got on that track, the best times have already been set and you have competed against these guys before, so if you're not beating their records, don't even show up.

Don’t Worry About How Others are Doing it, Experiment, Then Do it Your Way

One thing Floyd Mayweather has always done well is he did things his way. He never concerned himself with what other great’s routines looked like or what other gyms were doing. As time went on he developed his own training regimen that works for his personality. As an example, he wakes up at 2:30 pm, and then gets to work.

Despite the fact that most boxing greats stressed the importance of waking up early and getting ahead, Floyd has found ways to get ahead in a way that works for him.

Also, the first thing most fighters do is run their miles as the first part of their day. Mayweather doesn’t agree with that logic, so he saves his running for last, usually running as late as 3 am. His thinking is that he wants to be the sharpest for his sparring as that’s what most trains him for the fight, so he does that first.

It doesn’t matter when you do it, as long as you get the work done.

We live in a generation where we Google everything before we do it. Whether it’s a workout, a diet plan, a business plan, routine etc. people these days are all googling their way to success, but lost is the art of discovery.

These days people fear opportunity cost and time forgone, not realizing that experimentation is what leads to not only self-discovery but the ability to blaze your own path. You may, in fact, find something that works much better for you than someone else’s advice on what’s worked for them.

Never Complain, Never Cry - It Doesn’t Work

One of Mayweather’s popular quotes outside the typica,l is “Never Complain, Never Cry, Just Work.”

Despite what you think about Floyd Mayweather, there is wisdom that came from his years of perfecting his craft. I’m sure this simple little gem that says “Never Complain” came from one simple realization: complaining doesn’t work.

We all do it from time to time, but instead of helping us, it’s actually draining us. Some people think that they are “venting” or getting things “off their chest” but in fact, we are actually priming ourselves to be negative and to not want to take action. It’s more of a preliminary excuse, which puts your mind in a defeatist attitude, and sets you up for failure.

Floyd always primes his mind for success and positivity, and complaining does the opposite.

Find Your Own Motivation

One thing about Money Mayweather is he never cared about the status quo. Many criticize his lifestyle because it doesn't necessarily fit into the mold of what society is used to. He, however, does not care one bit what society may think. His motivations are different from most people’s, but it is what keeps him going.

Floyd is motivated by money, hence the change in the nickname, and that’s what keeps him going. He is also motivated by everything the money brings: the girls, the cars, the private jets, the $1,000 plates of food, and all the other luxuries money can buy. Most people are told that these are “empty” motivations and will never help you succeed.

Well, we are here to tell you that those people are wrong. It doesn’t matter what motivates you, as long as you are motivated, and remember, your motivations are never static and can always change. At some point in his career, Floyd had enough riches to retire, but he also wanted to leave his stamp on this world as “TBE.”

We are all motivated by different things, decide what motivates you and let it push you to get what you want out of life.

Affirmations for Mental Toughness

One thing that is often preached, but seldom done, are affirmations. This is because most people think that affirmations are “corny.”

However, what most people don’t realize that guys like Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali, and Conor McGregor aren’t just being cocky or talking trash, they are also practicing positive affirmations. They are constantly brainwashing themselves and priming their subconscious mind to perform on an elite level. Everytime you watch Mayweather shadow box, you can see this method in action. As he is hitting the bag, he says things like:

• “These fighters can’t beat me”
• “I’m the best ever”
• “I do everything great”
• “Never complain, never cry, just work”
• “No one has been at the top longer than me”
• “I’m going to stay undefeated”
• “I can’t be beat”
• “I always find a way to win”

This technique has been proven to help reprogram the brain and even Mike Tyson has been quoted saying that Cus D’Amato used to put him under hypnosis and read affirmations to him.

Implementing this can help you train your mind to build up mental toughness, self-belief, and self-confidence. Science has proven over and over again that being confident while doing something, actually makes you better at doing it. When you lack confidence, you perform worse, even if it’s at an equivalent skill level.

Implement positive affirmations as part of your daily mental training and you will train your subconscious to pursue patterns of behavior that align with those affirmations.

Talk Yourself Into A Corner

Speaking of trash talk, one of the things that Mayweather does, along with fighters like Ali and McGregor, is he talks himself into a corner. He goes out there and makes tremendously confident, some say arrogant statements, and puts himself in a position where he has to live up to it. This is actually a healthy thing to do if you are a person who performs better under pressure.

What happens is, you put your pride and your ego on the line by being public with your thoughts of grandeur, and then the pressure is on by all your peers for you to live up to it. This will serve as extra motivation to get accomplished what you want to accomplish. Because one of the biggest motivators is the avoidance of embarrassment and fear of failure.

One of the funniest moments on HBO’s 24/7 show was when Mayweather was seeing jogging at night and doing his usual self-talk and he says “I talk a lot of s***, now I gotta back it up.”

Surround Yourself With Positive People

While a lot of haters will say that Mayweather has a lot of “yes men” around him, the truth is he is just surrounded by people that support him and help him spread his positive message. Regardless of the reason, everyone around him wants to see him win. We constantly see his crew helping cheer him on during fights, training and even helping big him up while everyone is back at the “Money Mansion.” Floyd has earned the respect of his peers and surrounds himself with positivity. He has had multiple fallouts in the past, and it is usually in an attempt to remove any negative thinkers from around him.

Having positive thinkers around you can help encourage you and open up your mind to the possibilities. Eliminate the mental blockers and negative thoughts by surrounding yourself with a positive crew, it will energize you to work harder.

Know When to Rest, Work Smarter

One of the things that Floyd has said over and over again in regards to his longevity is this:

“As I get older, I have to learn to work hard, not smarter. I make sure I get my rest, instead of going out to the club, I go home, get a massage and go to sleep.”

One piece of advice Floyd has had for younger fighters, like Adrien Broner, is that the partying you see him do, is for the cameras. He doesn’t actually party daily and in fact, does not drink or smoke and only goes out for promotional purposes. As he got older, he knew the importance of preservation and prefers spending time with the family and resting at home after a good meal.

Hard work is important, but it must be sustainable. Just make sure you are working productively when it's time to work and don’t squander time. However, don’t overdo it and know when to stop as burnout, injury or health complications can offset months or years of hard work and have the opposite effect on progress.

Know when to rest, and always look for opportunities to work smarter, while working hard.

Hard Work, Dedication

At the end of the day, any success comes out of what you’re willing to put in. Floyd isn’t the only one who says he works hard, every person that has ever seen him train says he is the hardest working fighter they have ever seen. He was able to be the best without genetic gifts like Tyson or Jones. It was pure sweat that got him to be TBE.

Just remember, talent is overrated and anything can be accomplished if you dedicate yourself. Use some of Floyd’s tactics above to set a pace for yourself.

"I truly believe in my just busting my ass and dedicating myself to my craft and seeing what the future brings” - Floyd Mayweather