Enduring Motivation

Enduring Motivation

Dealing with  unmotivated Employees

Motivating Yourself
Maximum Motivation

Success From Scratch

Lessons For Success

Success Secrets

Successful Life Choices
10 Keys to Success

Building A Better Boss

Skills of  an Effective Manager

Fortune Cookie Management

Managing Fairness
Management & Training

Unifying Leadership

4 Lesseons for Leaders

Take Action

Leadership Behind the Walls
Leadership Pitfalls

Commit To A Goal

Work Smart

Choosing a Profession

A Determined Will
Be A Goal Getter....
One Race at a Time

    I live and work in a very competitive field, professional football.  It's a rough-and-tumble game, played by big, fast, well-conditioned athletes who want to win--and winning means beating somebody called the opponent.
      In some ways, it can be like war.  You and your fans believe that your team and cause are the best and that you deserve to win.  Coaches, cheerleaders and fans motivate you to play hard and gain a victory, because the only other option is defeat or loss--and nobody likes a loser or wants to be one.
      At first, I bought into this way of thinking. Like most athletes, I have a competitive nature and personal pride.  I don't like to lose, winning is a much better feeling.  And winning means beating the opposing teams in the league--the bad guys, the competition
      But after playing several years in the National Football League, I wasn't motivated much by the idea of beating somebody. I didn't like the idea of practicing to beat another team and to make enemies of opposing players.
      The longer you play or work in a profession or league, you learn to respect the competition. You learn to like other players. In fact, some of your best friends may play for other teams or work for the competition.
      Over time, I decided to change the way I prepared for a game I needed a NEW motivation, a new reason to win.

A New Look at Winning
      When I reflected on why I enjoyed playing football, why I started playing football in the first place, I came to this conclusion: I enjoyed the chance to test my skills, to play against the best in the league, to learn from them and to discover where I needed to grow and improve and progress.  And so in practice, I began to focus more on improving my skills.  If, for example after reviewing game films and listening to analysts, I learned that I was struggling with certain aspects of my game, I'd work on my fundamentals in those areas. I would chart my progress.  I'd look forward to the next game as a chance to test my skills and to test our team.

      When I started thinking this way, a strange thing happen.  I began to see the toughest opposition as my best friends because they made me and my team better.  I knew that I had to be my best and play my best to win the game. I began to thank them for playing their best against us.  Even in defeat, I began to be thankful for what I had learned about myself and our team.  Tough competition exposes your weaknesses and vulnerabilities like nothing else can.  And nothing makes you prepare and improve yourself more than a tough competitor. 

      After adopting my new approach to the game, I no longer had to force myself to view my opponents as enemies in order to be motivated to play.  I looked forward to practices and games because of the opportunity they gave me for growth and personal development.

      I believe that the best coaches and players focus first on what they need to do to improve their play.  They master the fundamentals.  Before they worry about beating the opposition, they focus on getting themselves in top condition.  They emphasize preparation, both mental and physical.  They measure both individual and team performance.
       So, if you want to be your best, compete with the best.  But in your efforts to win, remember that long-term success depends as much or more on your continuous improvement as on individual and as a team as it does on beating your opponents.  Winning is not just about beating somebody--it's first and foremost about being the best you can be, and you will need tough competition to achieve that goal.                                                            

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