So, on the 1-yard line, in the biggest game of your career, on the world’s biggest stage, with time running out, will you be like Butler?
Leading up to this season, Malcolm Butler went undrafted by every team. He then remained unsigned after the first wave of undrafted pickups. Had he let this 33-yard reception get the better of his mind, it could have also been his ticket out of the NFL quickly – it would have defined his career, by ending it swiftly.
It’s almost as if Butler took a page from a basketball playbook of legends – that of Coach K at Duke. This esteemed, long-tenured coach has a ritual: he declares “Next Play” after every single play in all of his games. It’s his way of signifying to his team that no matter what happened previously – good or bad – it’s time to focus on the task at hand. When players allow their minds to wander to a previous action, their intensity wanes and performance plummets.
Same holds in business. We have ups. We have downs. We need to have the focus of Bulter - the ability to let go of previous successes or setbacks - such that we can be 100% fully-engaged and be able to perform at our peak. Did you just let up a 33-yarder to a competitor? OK – move on. Get yourself mentally prepared for an interception and the signup of a new client, who changed over from your arch rival. Likewise, did you just score a winning touchdown and win a major award for research in your field?! Great – but move on. The “next play” deserves your full attention, and you can’t provide that if you’re still resting on your laurels and relishing in past wins.
Success happens (or is lost) in those magical moments, and we won't even notice them unless we are fully aware and present. So, on the 1-yard line, in the biggest game of your career, on the world’s biggest stage, with time running out, will you be like Butler? Don't squander your own success – focus on the next play.