The “Perfect” Patriots, Part 2

Last time I elaborated on two of the winning (and essential)
traits exhibited by the New England Patriots. The Patriots had
the NFL's first undefeated regular season in 35 years! Of
course they are hoping to finish off a "Perfect Season" by winning
the Super Bowl in just 9 days. Needless to say this will likely
be the most-watched Super Bowl in recent memory.

The character traits that I covered last week are Leadership and
Preparation. This week, I'll discuss the other two primary traits
that are absolutely necessary to consistently come out on top.
Here they are:

3. Motivation - This one's a biggie! Throughout this entire NFL
season, the Patriots have ALWAYS acted as a motivated team.
Motivated to be the BEST. Hungry for victory no matter how many
times they've tasted it. So hungry in fact that they won many
of their games by demoralizing margins. There was NO QUESTION
that this team was the better team in every game they played...
even the close ones.

(I'm not saying this just because I'm a fan. Just to prove it,
I'll publicly admit that Duke University is consistently the best
motivated college basketball team, period. And I'm a UNC Tar Heel!)

Not once did the Patriots appear as complacent, or as if they
would just win because they showed up. In fact, Coach Belichick
and the team went out of their way to emphasize the areas where
they needed to IMPROVE all season long. They called it "eating
Humble Pie".

The only way to continuously win when everyone's gunning for you
is to maintain your motivation to win. If you let down, get
complacent, take it easy, you're toast.

The same applies in business. If you spend too much time resting
on your recent success, you'll find yourself wondering what
happened when you experience a slow-down. Ask me how I know!

You'll find that it's more difficult to stay motivated when you
are most successful...and even when you are facing the biggest
obstacles. Those are precisely the two times when you NEED your
motivation and drive the most! Don't let up. And as the late
great college basketball coach Jim Valvano said:

"Don't give up. Don't EVER give up!"

4. Resiliency - I debated with myself about how I wanted to
charactarize this final trait. I chose "Resiliency" because it's
meaning is most accurate for all that I want to get across.
Surely there are other appropriate words, and even more traits
to add to my list of four, but I think these are the foundation
upon which the others are built.

Resiliency is the ability to quickly recover from adversity...to
SPRING back from challenges and obstacles that are in your path.
Another way to look at it is to be able to deal with the "curve
balls", or unexpected events, that are thrown your way.

This skill is SO important...and it is a skill...a learned trait
that takes time and effort to develop. Some are naturally better
at this than others, but anyone can train themselves to become
more and more resilient...IF they possess the MOTIVATION to do
so (wink wink)!

Back to the Patriots. Several times this season, their back was up
against the wall. They even were within sight of defeat on a few
occasions. But they didn't panic. They ADAPTED their strategies
and pressed forward, and methodically so at that. They never
lost control of their game plan.

The key to resiliency is being NIMBLE, ready to adapt to changes
in the environment. On numerous occasions the Patriots did
just that, and they endedd each game victorious.

Most people have a "deer in headlights" reaction when faced with
challenges, either forseen or unforeseen. They are stunned, frozen,
uncertain, even fearful. That's the kiss of death in business.

It's how you react to the challenges you face that determines your
outcomes. Wanna know my secret to "quick recovery" when things
don't go so well? Here it is:

ACCEPT it as it is...THEN focus on the SOLUTION...then ACT!

Many people spend way too much time wallowing in their despair.
This gets them nowhere. Instead, zoom in on your goals, look
THROUGH any obstacles you perceive, and DRIVE toward those goals!

In the end it really comes down to your:

Leadership
Preparation
Motivation
Resiliency

Work on those characteristics, and watch your practice continue
to SOAR!

All my best,
Chris

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