In It For The Long Haul

In It for the Long Haul

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

Every year, football fans expect their teams to win. And if the previous season ended with a poor record or fans believe certain players have consistently played subpar ball (usually the quarterback), they want to see a change. The media often fuels the fire. Of course, what the fans and media see is not lost on the organization; management will look at free agents and the college draft as ways to shore up their team’s fortunes for the coming season.

However, the best moves that teams make are often done without changing personnel. Sometimes the biggest improvement in productivity comes from players who are already on your roster, who have had a year to mature and grow, to learn your team’s system and become further acclimated in their roles and responsibilities. Those teams never end up being the fan darlings in June or July, however, because they haven’t “done enough to improve” their teams.

We’re all like that. We think the grass is greener elsewhere, that the big splash is the best way to reach our goals. But sometimes the employees you already have will be the best fit for that new position in your organization. Give them a chance to prove themselves.

Oftentimes we find ourselves in settings where we don’t need major changes; we merely need to readjust our thoughts and our focus.

This “greener grass” thinking can easily slip into a marriage, too—“I thought I married the right person, but I think so-and-so is better for me”—when the couple is going through troubled times. A husband or wife believes the answer lies outside their relationship when the real work needs to be done closer to home—with each other.

So next spring when the flowers bloom and the free agents switch teams, don’t lose faith if not many names change on your team’s roster. Sometimes the teams that focus on growing with the same personnel are the ones that make the greatest improvement and achieve lasting success.

Uncommon Key > It’s human nature to look to the outside for improvement or growth, when often all you need is right in front of you. It may simply require refocusing on what is truly important. What do you need to refocus on right now?