Back to Basics: It can help anyone from the Redskins to you

Once in a while, things come into my life that I really need. It may be one or two things at a time that have the same message but once in a blue moon, MULTIPLE events occur with the same message, and I have no choice but to notice and take action.

The message has been: GET BACK TO BASICS!!!

It's amazing how much I hear this everyday and see it lacking in many people, including myself. Please do not think that I am exempt from this. It is truly something that I have to work with physically, mentally and spiritually every day BUT the good news is that when I put a block in place that is missing, everything gets a little easier and makes A LOT more sense.

I can give multiple examples but the one that really jumped out at me the most was reading an article written about the Washington Redskins after their abysmal loss to the New York Giants. Redskins Linebacker London Fletcher had this to say:

"It's extremely frustrating," Fletcher said. "Same old story week in and week out, we're just not a sound fundamental football team. Poor tackling, probably the worst tackling team I've been around, don't do the fundamental things well: don't catch footballs, don't hold onto the ball, don't tackle well. Those things are things that you need to do on every level in order to win football games."

That's pretty powerful especially when its coming from an elite level athlete on a professional team. Now while this may not be the only issue that is plaguing the Redskins now, it's definitely a major factor.
 
Why is it that we are allowed to go through our lives without the fundamentals that London Fletcher spoke about? I do not believe it is limited to sports as it is easily seen pervading all aspects of our society.

When I started this post, I was going to use the picture of a building blocks but the more and more I thought about it, I felt as the building blocks were too much of a "static" analogy. Building blocks are necessary but I wanted something a little more natural so I choose the image of a tall tree with deep roots. As we know, as trees grow, they must sustain themselves by using their surroundings, above and below ground, for nourishment and stability. Branches reach upward to grab the important solar energy and the roots soak up nutrients from the soil. As the trees get bigger, the roots get deeper. That's what the BASICS are. The deeper when can go with our basics, the more better we will get with our skills.

Unfortunately, most people do not want to acknowledge their lack of the basics. Through various psychological mechanisms, they deceive themselves either subconsciously or consciously tell themselves that "I've got it". In my experience, that's the furthest thing from the truth.

I've been seeing a trend with people where they hit some kind of barrier that I'll call a PIVOT POINT. This pivot point is a point in the experience where a person starts to run into difficulty. Sometimes it's overt and sometimes its very subtle, but it's still there. At the pivot point, there are 3 choices that I have observed (or done). They are:

1) STOP. RESIST. DESIST. Most people will not go any further claiming it's too hard and completely reject this point. There will be plenty of excuses and people, usually other than that person, to blame. It's a knee jerk reaction. However, the sad thing is that it will continue to happen over and over in many aspects of the persons life and they finally get it.

2) MOVE OVER, UNDER OR AROUND THE PIVOT POINT BY DOING THE MINIMUM: This is also a fun one that I people will attempt to find the PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE in the moment.  They may get something accomplished but it will never be to their potential and they will always be left wanting more.

3) ENGAGE WITH SMART AND HARD WORK: This is the most challenging choice and its the road less travelled by many but the results that will follow from the detailed, thoughtful work will surpass their expectations and leave them feeling satisfied. Do not get me wrong. This is a difficult choice that comes with a myriad of experiences, up and down, during the process. However, the process of reaching your potential will be worth it.

Which option do you choose? Can you take a moment to think about a difficult aspect of your life and see what decision you have made for yourself? If you are unhappy and frustrated with something, more than likely, you will have chosen Options 1 or 2. How do you get out of that rut?

GET BACK TO THE BASICS!

As always, I welcome questions and feedback. Contact me at will@3doptimalperformance.com


Thanks,

Will