Next Play.

I coach freshman boys basketball. One of the tendencies of 14-year old boys is when they make a mistake, they drop their shoulders,  throw a pity party, and stop playing. Unfortunately for them, the game goes on. It’s one thing to make a mental mistake and throw away the ball, or miss a lay-up. It only exacerbates the problem if you allow that mistake to continue on for multiple plays.

The key to sports is that you have a short memory. You make a mistake, but then you go to the next play. Doing this keeps you focused, positive, and successful.

This “tendency” isn’t unique to 14-year old boys. Many of us in business can on occasion fall victim to pouting and pity parties. In the business game (just like in a basketball game), momentum an good fortune ebbs and flows. You have to be able to take a “punch in the mouth” and move on to the next play. Otherwise, that bad play becomes toxic to success. Make sure you have a short memory, keep fighting through adversity, and keep your eyes focused on the next play!

This week’s quote:

“Fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me.” Michael Jordan