I reinvented my program from the inside out, starting with me, and the winning showed up.
Results, not reasons. Again.
This is not a results > process statement, it’s simply to say that when things go your way, when you get a result you were hoping or working hard for…the pain of the process is dulled by the joy of the outcome.
At least for a little while.
The one you see all the way, square up and crush. The crowd oohs and ahhs…and you don’t even leave the box.
Sure, you watch it. Here’s to no one getting hurt or breaking a car window.
You feel good because it felt solid, but it likely wasn’t a strike anyway…
There’s no shame, but it’s not as good as it feels.
Results, not reasons.
Most complexities are compiled of sets of simple things.
Simple. Not easy.
If your team knows where and who gets the ball, all your bases and covered and has an understanding of the need for backing up the current priorities, things will go well.
The doing is important, and the planning and understanding is critical, too.
A team that’s confident in their ball, base, backup plan–one that has run the drills over and over until the play is sharp and the communication is on point–is the one that will be able to deal with derailments with aplomb.
Being ready when things go wrong is a key to having them go right.
I started to write a post along with this picture a few months ago, in November. That was before COVID-19, before there was no softball and before people were afraid, really afraid, of leaving the house or being around others.
Sure, the behind-the-scenes post I had in mind was interesting to me and might have been of note to others, but it all seems so far away in time.
Lots has happened.
I know that world-changing events like the pandemic we find ourselves in don’t happen often and there is no way that it could be diminished if I tried, but as I look at this picture I know that it would have seemed like a long time ago no matter what.
Our childhood feels like yesterday and a hundred years ago at the same time. Time flies and it crawls…we should work hard to enjoy where we are.
Do your best, both on the scoreboard and on the other side.
Coaches are wired to fix things.
This idea is built on the premise that these things are broken. What if we were to turn that negative viewpoint into one that emphasizes growing, expanding or simply clarifying the system, person or situation in question?
Does your team need fixing? Maybe, but perhaps not…or perhaps some areas need fine-tuning more than a significant overhaul. As we look for the areas of struggle–because we like fixing–we often miss out on opportunities to make our strengths even better.
Find an edge to sharpen.
Share. Try things, make plans, try things, make notes, try things, write lists…and share.
None of us own coaching technique. Even the most novel strategies come from seeds of something that’s comes before.
It’s so exciting to share coaching ideas, sketches, failures and successes through stories and game plans executed or trashed. The idea of “talking coaching” is the way to the future for all of us.
Let’s not just hash through the hows and even the whys of our experiences, but share the this-is-how-i-got-there details. You have lots to give and there are lots of coaches out there who can learn from your experiences.
You’re busy. You’ve got a lot going on. You might have time next week…
Are the things on your to-do list weighing you down or are the providing an anchor that helps you to get things done?
Finding systems to do “the things” the way you’d like them to be done, in a repeatable fashion, is probably a good thing, and for sure examination of the system itself is important.
Start by making note of what you’d like the future to look like and go from there.
You might as well be on the change train since you know it’s going to happen.
Look for the bumps as well as the forks in the road, prepare to zig even when you expect to zag.
Nothing stays the same regarding systems, processes or outcomes.
You can make intentional changes, or the unexpected might happen.
Prepare all of “you”, your levels of resilience as well as the level of detail of your planning. Being ready doesn’t just mean having an emergency plan, it means having the peace of mind that you can face any option.
So often I hear people complain about their poor time management skills. First, this is a personal problem.
Why complain about something that’s 100% in your control? Even if time management were a thing, why wouldn’t one work to make their skills better rather than spend time complaining about them?
So I’m on a crusade to make the phrase be self-management rather than time management.
Go.
Lots of people are talking about presence and being fully in the place where you actually are.
I once heard Ellen Degeneres comment something like, “If your body is doing something, your brain ought to be in on it.”
I call it being where your feet are.
And, it’s becoming harder to do, to truly focus on one thing at a time, so the old standby intentionality comes into play as the main event.
Intent to be attentive can be a struggle for me, but I’m thankful for the continued chances to improve at it.
Coaching Made Easier 