I know it will be a bit controversial to bring up the Superbowl right now. I also know that not all of you follow or care about football that much. That’s okay, I promise this is not a review of the game. There will be minimal football talk.
So on to the point.
How do you react to your decisions and their consequences? I want to encourage you to start taking responsibility for what happens day to day, decision to decision. OWN IT!
A great example of this in the current media is the ending to the SuperBowl. The Seahawks were 1 yard away from a touchdown that could have put them in the lead and most likely won the Superbowl. The call was to throw the ball, instead of having Marshawn Lynch (aka Beast Mode) run the ball over the line. Now in the moment the whole state of Washington screamed at the TV!!! Why would they throw it from so close, leaving the Patriots to intercept it and win the game?!? I’m not going to mention all the stats that everyone else did and why statistically that was the right decision, or any of that. I am not a football know it all and I’m not going to pretend to be.
I want to talk about the reactions, the aftermath. Russell Wilson (the quarterback who threw the game losing interception) and Pete Carroll the coach have been asked endless questions about that call. How did they react? Well of course I am sure they were disappointed, but then they went on to OWN their part and take responsibility. They did not blame the Patriots for their loss, they congratulated them on a play well executed. Both Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson took responsibility and did not say they regretted the call. There was no finger pointing, no blame game. They knew it was the best decision and they never had any doubts about it. They played their game, did the best they could and the Patriots had a fantastic play to secure their own win. They accepted reality and made the decision to stay positive. Now they are both moving on and looking for the next opportunity to learn, grow, and make their way back to the SuperBowl.
That is called OWNERSHIP!
Their decision did NOT end they way they wanted to, but isn’t that what happens in our lives as well? Do things ever end up exactly as planned??? If so share your secrets, because the rest of us would like to know the magic. You have a choice when you make a call in your own life. You can blame the universe, the economy, the other players…whatever you would like. Or you can take responsibility, learn from your situation and look forward to the next opportunity to use what you have learned.
What is a time in your life when things did not go your way? What did you learn from it? Was there a bit a blame you placed on someone else? Can you take responsibility, OWN the decisions you made? Accepting the responsibility and knowing that you have control over your reaction, and the lesson you learn is freeing. You aren’t always in control of the outcome, but you are in control of your reaction. Be a good sport, a good team mate, co-worker, boss, CEO, and take responsibility, accept the lesson, OWN IT and move forward to the next task.