February 2nd, 2014… In East Rutherford, NY, home to the NY Giants, the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII took place. The season’s number one defense took the field against the league’s number one offense.
By now, we all know how it ended. So why am I writing about the Super Bowl? After all, it is just a game and life moves on, right? There was a winner and a loser. But let’s dive a little deeper. Each individual player goes onto the field with a unique success story (yes, all of the players have a SUCCESS story). Can you start to see parallels between your life and theirs? Salaries aside, they go to work to get their job done, just like we do. Well, minus the fact that once upon a time we may have all dreamed of being a professional athlete (or rock star) and they are actually living that dream.
Whether you are at your dream job or not, each of us got to where we are in a similar fashion. What’s the common denominator? Hard work. A NFL contract is not just handed to you one day. It takes dedication, discipline and skill development to get there. Is it starting to sound similar to how you develop professionally in a corporate environment? Consider your own situation for a moment… No matter where you started, you may have had some sort of idea of how to attain what you defined as success. So have you realized your dream? Well, why not? What is holding you back?
Though my vision of my “dream job” shifts from time to time, I feel as though I am taking steps to get closer to achieving it. These shifts are caused by influences, which you read about in my last post. Whether these influences are your support circle, the career choices you’ve made or events that have taken place, each definitely plays a factor in the path that you are on today.
Now back to football. I typically enjoy cheering for the underdogs. The qualities of hard work and determination are that much more prominent with the underdog. As the old saying goes, “all you need is hard work and determination for success”. 43 – 8……. Need I say more?
In some interviews and predications a few weeks before the game, the Seattle Seahawks seemed like a favorite, but then again some put Peyton Manning’s talent above all else and going into the game many folks (except those lucky few gamblers) were likely placing their bets on the Denver Broncos. But at the end of 60 minutes, and some darn good football, the Seattle Seahawks took home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
On a related rambling, one of my passions is being a mentor. I frequently explain to my mentees the importance of having a focused plan that can help guide them. Even with a solid plan in place, they must also pay attention to influencers that may adjust this plan, for better or for worse. Minus the really terrible snap in the first quarter, the Seahawks defense was able to adjust no matter what was “thrown” at them and keep the Denver Broncos to only 8 points (0 points in the first half).
When I think about where I am and how I got here, the amount of attention that was given to this plan was very important. Do I wake up every day and review this plan to ensure I am meeting daily goals? No. But, I do take pause to reflect after core events in life and ensure that everything I do is for a reason and not just to be status quo.
The Seahawks wanted their own NFL Super Bowl rings and I similarly, like many others, have a dream that I want to reach in the future. If they can do it, why can’t we?
