When you’re extremely present and task oriented you get more accomplished. When you get more accomplished you have to move on to bigger and better things. Think of it like you’re playing a game. Let’s say you’re a basketball player competing in a game right now! You’ve had a decent game so far and your team is now playing in the 2nd half. The score is tied. The team counts on you to be a reliable scorer who is known for their defense-first attitude and rebounding. There is ten minutes to go in the game. You cut to the hoop and are open and your teammates get you the ball with a nice pass. The leather hits your hands and you’re going up for an easy basket. But the shot rims out. It misses!
You did nine things right out of ten. Your teammates executed also. And the shot didn’t go in. What’s the key piece in that last sequence of events. That the shot was missed? That it was well executed overall? That it was a tie score?
Nope. What is important about what happened is that it’s in the past tense. It HAPPENED. There’s nothing you can do about it. What if you HAD made the shot? It would have felt good to make the shot but it too would be in the past. What’s important? WHAT’S NEXT!
Remember, your team relies on you to play DEFENSE! Guess what – it’s time to play defense and get the ball back so you may try and score again! Your team also counts on you to grab rebounds! Maybe you get the next rebound on defense or offense and it leads to points for your team? If you’re focussed on missing that shot, you probably won’t play as well at those other things either.
After you forget about your ‘what’s next’ you let momentum slip away with every passing moment. Next stop: coach subs you out!
Momentum is a concept used in sport and life to describe the process that I have talked about. What’s next produces more small wins. A series of small wins is what momentum is. When you have a lot of momentum you become very difficult to stop! Your momentum will lead you to great victories.
When you build momentum you add confidence. More confidence improves your effectiveness. You become unstoppable. In pro sports you become unconscious. In business you become ‘dialed in’.
As a coach I use the philosophy of ‘what’s next’ at every practice. My practices are designed to simulate games and special situations over and over again. These types of scenarios happen all practice long. Lot’s of success and many failures too. 90 minutes worth (sometimes more and sometimes less.) Your ability to have a great practice is not dependent upon how the practice starts off for you. It’s how you are able to go from one task to another and maintain the same focus throughout. I expect the same mindset in the games.
‘What’s next‘ is the question I implant into my player’s and client’s minds when times are performing well or not as well. A lot of people say it’s their work ethic that gets the job done, and being a hard worker is important. But being able to move from one success or failure into another opportunity and have your full attention on what’s next is what determines your long term success.
You dropped a touchdown pass? What’s next? You made a leaping grab? What’s next? You flubbed a business meeting? What’s next? You rocked the presentation! What’s next?
Achieving long term success is not about the one huge win. That’s simply a result of many small wins over time that get you in the position to have a great moment. It may take years to get there. You don’t know. All that’s important to know is that big wins are a result of many small victories along the way. The small victories are possible from going from one task to the next with the same #BGT focus and commitment to giving 100%.
To own your future you have to be focussed on what you are doing right now. As soon as you accomplish your present task, you have to have a ‘what’s next’ mindset.
