---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Becoming a champion is not an easy…"
description: "\"Becoming a champion is not an easy process... It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.\" — Nick Saban"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/nick-saban-2879_becoming_becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-proce_2878741.jpg"
---

#  Becoming a champion is not an easy process... It is done…

![“Becoming a champion is not an easy process... It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.” quote by Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/nick-saban-2879_becoming_becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-proce_2878741.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/nick-saban-2879_becoming_becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-proce_2878741.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/nick-saban-2879_becoming_becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-proce_2878741.jpg)

> “Becoming a champion is not an easy process... It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.”

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Becoming a champion requires focusing on the process, not just the end result.

**In simple terms:** Focus on effort, not just the goal.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize disciplined daily habits.

Themes

sports success process

Mood

motivational strategic

Type

sports self‑improvement

When to use this quote

- training programs
- coaching
- personal development

Key Concepts

goal‑setting habit formation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you keep process focus daily?
- What habits support long‑term achievement?

A Different Perspective

Outcome fixation can distract from necessary work.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/)

## Related quotes

> [You have a lot to learn before becoming a champion. Once you are champion, you must accept the consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-martinez/you-have-a-lot-to-learn-before-becoming-a-champion-once-you-are/)

[Sergio Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-martinez/)

> [People ask if I had hope of becoming a champion. I had hope. Hope was the only thing I had. Hope pushed me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-kovalev/people-ask-if-i-had-hope-of-becoming-a-champion-i-had-hope-hope-was/)

Sergey Kovalev

> [I ran into a couple of guys who were boxers. They talked me into working out at their gym. I became obsessed with boxing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-seda/i-ran-into-a-couple-of-guys-who-were-boxers-they-talked-me-into/)

[Jon Seda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-seda/)

> [The bitter pinecone may be eaten, The mist on high give nourishment. The whole world takes to go-and-getting; My way alone is difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/du-fu/the-bitter-pinecone-may-be-eaten-the-mist-on-high-give-nourishment/)

[Du Fu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/du-fu/)

> [it takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it, to know what true freedom is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/it-takes-getting-everything-you-ever-wanted-and-then-losing-it-to/)

[Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/)

> [I never thought I might become famous. It takes getting used to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-reyes/i-never-thought-i-might-become-famous-it-takes-getting-used-to/)

[Jose Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-reyes/)

> [To get into the process of doing back-to-back films, it takes getting a little used to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshaye-khanna/to-get-into-the-process-of-doing-back-to-back-films-it-takes-getting/)

[Akshaye Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshaye-khanna/)

> [You don't know where life's gonna take you. Sometimes it takes you getting carried out of a club and then into a booth as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dyrdek/you-don-t-know-where-life-s-gonna-take-you-sometimes-it-takes-you/)

[Rob Dyrdek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-dyrdek/)

> [“But I didn't really mind it because I knew that it takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/but-i-didn-t-really-mind-it-because-i-knew-that-it-takes-getting/)

[Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/)

> [“Once taken off one task without completing the transaction, the mind continues to seek closure. Fight to stay focused on the task at hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/once-taken-off-one-task-without-completing-the-transaction-the-mind/)

[Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/)

> [“So how about this,” he said, focusing on the pan. “The next time we get the chance, you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-stone/so-how-about-this-he-said-focusing-on-the-pan-the-next-time-we-get/)

[C.L. Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-l-stone/)

> [I remember being shocked when I came out from under the focusing cloth after a minute or two being submerged within that, at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out-from-under-the-focusing/)

[John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/)

> [Now I am just focusing on my daughter, my wife, religion, and training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-bill-williams/now-i-am-just-focusing-on-my-daughter-my-wife-religion-and-training/)

[Sonny Bill Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-bill-williams/)

> [Focusing on the long term and building a great product that is scalable ultimately leads to a great company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-sherman/focusing-on-the-long-term-and-building-a-great-product-that-is/)

Craig Sherman

> [Try to help people rather than focusing on what's in it for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/try-to-help-people-rather-than-focusing-on-what-s-in-it-for-me/)

[Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/)

## More by Nick Saban

> [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [What makes Freddy Krueger such a horrible character? What makes him scare you to death? You can't get rid of the guy. He never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-makes-freddy-krueger-such-a-horrible-character-what-makes-him/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I said as soon as we had a playoff, we were going to minimize the importance of all the other bowl games. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-said-as-soon-as-we-had-a-playoff-we-were-going-to-minimize-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/our-goal-is-to-work-against-things-we-have-not-seen-that-we-will-see/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I've always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-ve-always-been-able-to-stay-focused-on-trying-to-recruit-good/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I think people always assume that every team has great intangibles, and that's not necessarily right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-people-always-assume-that-every-team-has-great-intangibles/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I think there's a certain pride people have in competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-there-s-a-certain-pride-people-have-in-competition/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Soccer is a continuous game, rugby is a continuous game, but for the physical elements that are involved in playing a football game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/soccer-is-a-continuous-game-rugby-is-a-continuous-game-but-for-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [You can't allow yourself to be vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/you-can-t-allow-yourself-to-be-vulnerable/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/there-are-two-pains-in-life-there-is-the-pain-of-discipline-and-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [As a coach, when it comes to football players, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better. As people, we're trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/as-a-coach-when-it-comes-to-football-players-we-re-trying-to-change/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [We're not going to talk about what we're going to accomplish, we're going to talk about how we're going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-re-not-going-to-talk-about-what-we-re-going-to-accomplish-we-re/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life. I hope whoever our leader is will do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-want-what-s-best-for-people-who-want-to-improve-the-quality-of/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/the-thing-that-concerns-me-the-most-is-when-i-hear-that-people-are/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

[Explore all 147 Nick Saban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

## More Becoming quotes

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/)

[Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/)

> [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/)

[Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/)

> [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/)

[John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

Christopher Wood

> [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/)

[Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/)

> [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Becoming a champion is not an easy process... It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nick Saban"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-process-it-is-done-by-focusing-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Becoming"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-process-it-is-done-by-focusing-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/nick-saban-2879_becoming_becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-proce_2878741.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/nick-saban-2879_becoming_becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-proce_2878741.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/nick-saban-2879_becoming_becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-proce_2878741.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Becoming a champion is not an easy process... It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not…” — Nick Saban",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nick Saban",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Becoming a champion is not an...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-process-it-is-done-by-focusing-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/becoming-a-champion-is-not-an-easy-process-it-is-done-by-focusing-on/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
