So you’re trying to accomplish your goals. How do you keep the momentum going, even through a tough year like the last few years we've had? The answer is to think like a coach. Let me explain.
It’s the adjustments you make that determine success
Like a football or basketball game, a year is divided into quarters and halves. In those sports, the coaches must make adjustments throughout the game but make the most significant changes during the breaks. It's the perfect time for the coaches, team captains, and players to reflect on the most quarters. And, while reflecting, they can make adjustments based on things that are working and things that are hamster wheeling—that is, accomplishing nothing.
A great example is the famous (or infamous if you're from Atlanta) second-half comeback by the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. In case you're unfamiliar, the Falcons were winning 28-3 against the Patriots at halftime. The Patriots would have to score at least 25 points in just two quarters when they only had scored 3 by half-time.
The Patriots ended up winning 34-28. They held the high-powered Falcons offense to zero points in the second half. How? How did the Patriots go from giving up 4 touchdowns over two quarters to none in the following two?
There are many theories as to why the best comeback or worst choking in Superbowl history happened. The brilliant business minds in the What Now Movement believe its the coaches, especially at the professional level, that display some of the best examples of success through quick, in-game adjustments. Bill Belichick adjusted and Dan Quinn couldn’t or wouldn’t.
We’ll let the Football pundits figure it out. Our message for you is that adjustments are always needed no matter where you are in the game to achieve your goals.
Steph Curry vs The Boston Celtics
To explain how adjustments are so powerful, What Now Movement co-founder and podcast host Eric M. Twiggs,
spoke about the Celtic’s unsuccessful defensive strategy against Steph Curry during the 2022 NBA Finals.
If you're unfamiliar with Steph Curry, he is the best shooter on the planet. The Celtics were more than aware of this fact, so they decided the best way to stop Curry was to double-team him—or put two defensive players on him instead of just one.
The strategy kept Steph from scoring an ungodly amount of points, but the Golden State Warriors realized that if two Celtic players were guarding Steph, there had to be a Warrior player open somewhere on the court. The correction was made and other players, besides Steph Curry, started scoring. The Celtics were forced to abandon their double-team strategy. They went on to lose the series. Again, we’ll let the pundits figure out all the reasons for the loss but we can say adjustments are key when you realize your strategy isn’t working.
As an entrepreneur, your success journey is not a straight climb up to the top. You're going to face adversity every day, every week, every month, and every year. Some entrepreneurs fail because they can't make adjustments, like our examples. Most are successful because they know the importance of flexibility and learning from mistakes.
To avoid falling behind or letting the competition catch up, you must constantly look for ways to improve your business. Here are a few examples of what you can do to make adjustments:
Run SWOT analysis,
Send out surveys to customers or employees to improve your products and/or services.
Know your numbers
Take a mental health break
Or, sometimes, it's about getting back to your fundamentals. As an entrepreneur, this might mean reflecting on your company's culture or your business's identity.
Focus on Your Fundamentals
Ted Fells, What Now Movement’s Vice President of Strategy, believes the Patriot's unprecedented comeback came from them not changing anything but improving on what they already do best. For your business, sometimes the best solution is returning to the basics—the thing that helped build your organization into what it is today.
To find these kinds of solutions, a growth-focused mindset is critical. Right now, we're in the last quarter of 2022, and many decide to jog the last leg out, especially if things are going well. We just want you to keep moving and keep looking at where you are and make the necessary changes to accomplish your goals. Because, otherwise, you may end up like the Falcons or the Celtics!
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