Kansas Jayhawks made it into the Championship Game.
KU is the team I cheer for after I cheer for Davidson.
KU played an amazing game, almost gave it away, and then re-focused to pull away for the win.
I was thinking about the game and wondering why that happens so often in sports and in life. I was just talking to a friend last week about getting close to a goal and then losing focus.
Why is it that just when all the hard work and focus are finally paying off, I am getting work like I want to, or KU goes up by 28 in the first half...there comes a point when you lose focus.
If you were to ask someone what they were doing at that moment, (as I am sure Bill Self was doing!), they would probably be able to tell you the game plan, or they would tell you something that got under their skin, or ... I don't know.
Finisher's figure out where they are at that moment. They figure out what they are doing, what the other team is doing, and they figure out what is going on in their head.
And that is what Kansas did. They "woke up", they snapped out of it. They did what a lot of teams would not have been able to do...they RE-focused.
Bill Self re-calibrated his game plan...or he thumped it back into his team's heads.
I often find myself wandering off course. Why do I do that?
I don't know...but I think the big lesson here is that even the BEST champions (or almost champions!) do it. AND, it's what you do AFTER you lose focus that counts.
The Finisher's Quality then, isn't being focused ALL the time...it is knowing where you are...it is refocusing when you lose focus.
Great Finishers have the ability to ReFocus.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Great Finishing Doesn't Always Equal a Win
I am a Davidson College Alumni.
It was absolutely from another world amazing to be upset about being one shot from the Final Four this weekend. Amazing.
And, it made me think about Great Finishers and my 7th grade soccer team.
Every year at my little school, there was a game between the 7th graders and the 8th graders. We thought this was the year for the upset. The thought of not winning NEVER entered our mind or our discussions before the game.
We played like 9th graders that day, but the game was even and nobody scored. Until in the final two minutes, the 8th graders scored and hung on to win despite how well we played.
I can still remember how upset we were, and to this day I remember the Varsity soccer coach's talk afterwards.
"The 8th graders always win. That doesn't mean that you didn't play well. I have never seen such a close game. But, the 8th graders played and lost last year, and they know what they have to do. They always win."
Davidson College almost did it. In fact, they DID do it to a lot of teams in this year's tournament.
Finishing means maximizing your abilities, living in the moment, working and playing for your teammates...all those great things that Davidson did do throughout this whole season.
But the big guys always (well almost always) win. Kansas was clearly the better, deeper and bigger team.
Davidson lost, but I think this run and this experience will inevitably take them to a different level in their lives, at the school, and of course...next year when they get to the Final Four!
Go Wildcats!
It was absolutely from another world amazing to be upset about being one shot from the Final Four this weekend. Amazing.
And, it made me think about Great Finishers and my 7th grade soccer team.
Every year at my little school, there was a game between the 7th graders and the 8th graders. We thought this was the year for the upset. The thought of not winning NEVER entered our mind or our discussions before the game.
We played like 9th graders that day, but the game was even and nobody scored. Until in the final two minutes, the 8th graders scored and hung on to win despite how well we played.
I can still remember how upset we were, and to this day I remember the Varsity soccer coach's talk afterwards.
"The 8th graders always win. That doesn't mean that you didn't play well. I have never seen such a close game. But, the 8th graders played and lost last year, and they know what they have to do. They always win."
Davidson College almost did it. In fact, they DID do it to a lot of teams in this year's tournament.
Finishing means maximizing your abilities, living in the moment, working and playing for your teammates...all those great things that Davidson did do throughout this whole season.
But the big guys always (well almost always) win. Kansas was clearly the better, deeper and bigger team.
Davidson lost, but I think this run and this experience will inevitably take them to a different level in their lives, at the school, and of course...next year when they get to the Final Four!
Go Wildcats!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Brain Bucket Subtraction Update
Hello all,
I have heard from many of you about the several things you are subtracting from your working lives. I think everyone has at least had this on their minds over the past couple of weeks. I am here to tell you it is not too late to join the Challenge!
The goal here is to first DEFINE what your world is.
Then, lay out how will you become the Best in the World ... the best in YOUR world.
Then, Subtract the other stuff.
SO...if you have subtracted things from your life and you have not posted it on my blog, by all means share it with us!
Leslie has an interesting take on this on the Brain Bucket Forum thread called Subtraction is Hard. At the moment, that is the only discussion thread. Anyone interested in more?
I heard from Jerry Smith, a personal and business coach, who said he is subtracting non-agenda meetings...read his comment to this POST. You should also read his Balance Life / Work blog.
I have heard from others. Comment to this post and be featured!
It is another week and time for another subtraction. Last week I subtracted obsessive email checking. By not "working in my in box" I had to plan my work and as a result...I worked WAY more efficiently.
My subtraction for this week:
It is a personal one that is having a HUGE impact professionally. One of my goals is to wake up earlier and not be so rushed in the morning. The ONLY way I can make that happen is to Subtract my late night TV habit.
Therefore...as much as I enjoy give in to my late night nature...I am going to subtract my two plus hours of couch potato time that comes AFTER 10 p.m.
What can you subtract?
I have heard from many of you about the several things you are subtracting from your working lives. I think everyone has at least had this on their minds over the past couple of weeks. I am here to tell you it is not too late to join the Challenge!
The goal here is to first DEFINE what your world is.
Then, lay out how will you become the Best in the World ... the best in YOUR world.
Then, Subtract the other stuff.
SO...if you have subtracted things from your life and you have not posted it on my blog, by all means share it with us!
Leslie has an interesting take on this on the Brain Bucket Forum thread called Subtraction is Hard. At the moment, that is the only discussion thread. Anyone interested in more?
I heard from Jerry Smith, a personal and business coach, who said he is subtracting non-agenda meetings...read his comment to this POST. You should also read his Balance Life / Work blog.
I have heard from others. Comment to this post and be featured!
It is another week and time for another subtraction. Last week I subtracted obsessive email checking. By not "working in my in box" I had to plan my work and as a result...I worked WAY more efficiently.
My subtraction for this week:
It is a personal one that is having a HUGE impact professionally. One of my goals is to wake up earlier and not be so rushed in the morning. The ONLY way I can make that happen is to Subtract my late night TV habit.
Therefore...as much as I enjoy give in to my late night nature...I am going to subtract my two plus hours of couch potato time that comes AFTER 10 p.m.
What can you subtract?
Finishers Make Time to Focus
I have heard from many of you that you continue to look for things to Subtract from your working lives. (If you haven't read about my Subtraction Challenge...do so HERE)
In keeping with the idea that I need to connect the dots that get us from being a great Finisher to how and why that is important to your business.
Finishers Make Time for Focus -
I have recently started reading a very strong blog called Zen Habits. As of today he has more than 46,000 readers...maybe we should pay attention to how he is doing that!
Leo has a very good post this week called How to Make Time for your Personal Goals.
The quote he has at the bottom of his post from Yoda is one of my favorites.
"Try not. Do or do not. There is no Try."
You can focus on your goals, personal and professional. Instead of giving in to the crowded nature of our days....stop.
Stop and Make Time to Focus. Great Finishers do this. By blocking the non-essential stuff out, you will create time in alliance with your motivation.
Oh...and go check out this week's Subtraction Challenge update HERE.
In keeping with the idea that I need to connect the dots that get us from being a great Finisher to how and why that is important to your business.
Finishers Make Time for Focus -
I have recently started reading a very strong blog called Zen Habits. As of today he has more than 46,000 readers...maybe we should pay attention to how he is doing that!
Leo has a very good post this week called How to Make Time for your Personal Goals.
The quote he has at the bottom of his post from Yoda is one of my favorites.
"Try not. Do or do not. There is no Try."
You can focus on your goals, personal and professional. Instead of giving in to the crowded nature of our days....stop.
Stop and Make Time to Focus. Great Finishers do this. By blocking the non-essential stuff out, you will create time in alliance with your motivation.
Oh...and go check out this week's Subtraction Challenge update HERE.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Finishers Persist
If you are pushing to the edge of your industry, or your position, or your career choice, there must be something to push against.
Finishers Persist, even flourish, when the Way gets harder.
As the line from "A League of Their Own" goes, "Of course baseball is hard. It is the hard that makes it great. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it."
How do you learn to persist when The Forces of Mediocrity (a recent Seth Godin Post) start dumbing down your remarkable plan?
First you have to fail and learn by failing. In tennis, getting to and winning a third set or a fifth set (if you happen to be in a Grand Slam), is a big hurdle. Some players feel the pressure and learn to focus on the details and plans. Other players get off track, lose focus and even though they won the second set by playing better than their opponent, lose the third 6-0.
You have to lose a few third sets before you start to figure out how to win them.
Great Finishers Learn to Fail.
Persistence does not Mean chasing down every attack
Many years ago when I loved cycling I was watching a stage of The Tour De France. A rider was in the leader's yellow jersey and the elite riders in the race were at the front of the big field. This leader was a very good rider, but he did not have a strong team. As the road went up a huge mountain, the other leaders of other teams began attacking. One after another they launched attacks trying to get away from the yellow jersey. Each time someone attacked, the leader of the race tried to chase them down. The problem was, as soon as he chased one down, another attacked. Within 15 or 20 minutes, he was unable to chase the attacks and was left behind.
The smarter thing would have been for him to rely on people who had an interest in the outcome as well. "If you want him to win the race, let him go...I'm not chasing him down."
Persistence does not mean chasing down every attack. Sometimes there are people who can and will help you out because their interests align with yours (even if only temporarily).
So, as Seth Godin implores...persist. If you are struggling it is because you are pushing.
Finishers Persist, even flourish, when the Way gets harder.
As the line from "A League of Their Own" goes, "Of course baseball is hard. It is the hard that makes it great. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it."
How do you learn to persist when The Forces of Mediocrity (a recent Seth Godin Post) start dumbing down your remarkable plan?
First you have to fail and learn by failing. In tennis, getting to and winning a third set or a fifth set (if you happen to be in a Grand Slam), is a big hurdle. Some players feel the pressure and learn to focus on the details and plans. Other players get off track, lose focus and even though they won the second set by playing better than their opponent, lose the third 6-0.
You have to lose a few third sets before you start to figure out how to win them.
Great Finishers Learn to Fail.
Persistence does not Mean chasing down every attack
Many years ago when I loved cycling I was watching a stage of The Tour De France. A rider was in the leader's yellow jersey and the elite riders in the race were at the front of the big field. This leader was a very good rider, but he did not have a strong team. As the road went up a huge mountain, the other leaders of other teams began attacking. One after another they launched attacks trying to get away from the yellow jersey. Each time someone attacked, the leader of the race tried to chase them down. The problem was, as soon as he chased one down, another attacked. Within 15 or 20 minutes, he was unable to chase the attacks and was left behind.
The smarter thing would have been for him to rely on people who had an interest in the outcome as well. "If you want him to win the race, let him go...I'm not chasing him down."
Persistence does not mean chasing down every attack. Sometimes there are people who can and will help you out because their interests align with yours (even if only temporarily).
So, as Seth Godin implores...persist. If you are struggling it is because you are pushing.
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