I don’t fancy myself as a football lover—no hater here…mostly neutral. But I was so amazed by what Tom Brdy and the New England Patriots pulled off in Superbowl LI that I may have to start watching NFL more often.
Truth: I watched the game to see the half-time show as I am a crazy GaGa fan, (even more so now). We even left my sister’s after the third quarter because, hey, that game was done, right?
Not so much.
What astounded me as much as the win was the post game press conference with Tom Brady. The first thing I wanted to know was what the heck was going through his head that final quarter that allowed him to help his team.
To paraphrase him, it was essentially this:
“I don’t remember what I was thinking just that we had to score.”
Mr. Brady can now add master of understatement to his impressive resume.
But the simplicity belies a profound theme: stay present with the task at hand and take the simplest action you can with active intention. Couple that with a belief in that part of you that refuses to play small or be ruled by fear—and, while you may not win a Super Bowl, you will get closer to your goal.
I’m so excited by it, I’m telling my clients to remember the Patriot’s odds of winning that game when they face overwhelm at their next task. I often find comfort in the knowledge that somewhere, someone has faced even greater odds than I have and if they can do it, so can I. Just putting myself in that mindset releases fear for me.
We may not have the global success (or desire it, for that matter) of Tom Brady and Lady Gaga, but we can embrace their process—stay present and focused on the task at hand and not give into fear. Then we can find our own version of the inner champion.
