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From a young age, Mike Tyson had a singular ambition: to be the youngest heavyweight champion in history. He visualized it daily, telling himself he was the best even before he had fought a pro bout. 'I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious and most ruthless champion there's ever been. ' This raw ambition wasn't just talk; it was a psychological weapon that destroyed his opponents' will before the first bell rang.
"You have to be obsessed with your physical form to be the best."
"I intend to fight and I want to win. But my priorities are basically to be a good Brother and a strong one, and to try to be a father one day."
"I didn't care about the money. I cared about the legacy, and legacy requires constant work."
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."
"I was born to do this. But I had to work to become who I was born to be."
"I never felt I was in good enough shape. I always wanted more."
"Money is false security. You think because you have a lot of money, you're invincible. It's not true."
"I'm a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I grab a handful of clouds."
"I wanted to be the most conditioned athlete in the world."
"I wanted to be the best that ever lived. That's a lot of pressure, and you handle pressure with work."
"The temptation for greatness is the biggest drug in the world."
"My style was impetuous, my defense was impregnable, and I was just ferocious."
"I was always looking for a way to get an extra 1% in my fitness."
"To be a champion, you have to have the heart of a lion."
"I'm a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I seize a handful of clouds."
"I just want to conquer people and their souls. That takes a lot of work in the gym and in the mind."
"I don't run for the exercise. I run to break my opponent's spirit."
"Every morning I woke up and asked myself how much I wanted it."
Seeing how Mike Tyson approaches Ambition helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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