Focus

During Pop Warner football practice, while talking to our players at our first water break, I noticed that very few of them were paying attention. Some were watching the cheerleaders practice. Some were looking at the birds in the trees. And, some were just staring off into outer space. Consequently, when it came time to perform their conditioning drills, most of the players did not execute them properly.

Frustrated by their effort, I made a commitment to rebuke them if they did not pay attention to the coaches during their second water break. Once again, as the coach began to speak to the team while they guzzled water, most of the players began to daze off. This time I quickly stepped in and reminded them of the importance of listening to and focusing on the coach while he speaks. Their next session of conditioning drills went much better because this time they focused on the coach while he was giving instructions.

During his presidential campaign, Governor Mike Huckabee told a story to illustrate a point on the importance of staying focused on the right responsibilities. The story was about his assistant who worked for him while he was governor of Arkansas. He described how people would frequently assume that his assistant had a difficult job working for a governor. She would quickly correct them by telling them her job was quite easy. Shocked by her response, most people would then ask, “How so?” Then, she would tell them her job was easy because all she had to do was please one person—the governor.

Hebrews 12:2-3 says, “2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

One of the keys to positioning yourself for victory is staying focused on the right things. An athlete must focus on the coach’s instruction, an assistant must focus on the agenda of her boss, and a Christ-follower must stay focused on Jesus.

Are you focused on the right things?

Are You Prepared?

Be prepared in season and out of season. 2 Timothy 4:2

Ever since I was a little boy, I had a dream of playing basketball for the Florida State Seminoles. I was fortunate to realize that dream when I signed a basketball scholarship with the Seminoles in 1989. In high school, I signed early with the Mercer Bears and transferred to FSU after my freshmen year. Since I transferred, I had to sit out for a year before playing as a sophomore.

My first opportunity to make a significant contribution came against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Leon County Civic Center. Jacksonville, featuring their star guard Dee Brown who would later sign with the Boston Celtics and win the NBA dunk contest, was beating us by eight points with two minutes left in the game. Coach Kennedy put me in the game hoping I would make some 3-point shots, and prevent us from experiencing what appeared to be a certain defeat.

Making the most of my opportunity, I scored the only points that would be registered in the last two minutes. It just happened to be eight points, and my offensive contribution put us into overtime. We ended up winning the game by one point in overtime.

After the game, my locker was crowded with reporters. One of them asked me if I was surprised by my performance. Emphasizing that I was not trying to be prideful or arrogant, I answered the reporter with an emphatic no. Then, I told them that I had been preparing for this moment since I was a little boy, and that I had shot those 3-pointers thousands of times before this game. I was prepared to make the most of my opportunity.

Have you ever felt unprepared for an event or opportunity?

What happens when you don’t prepare? Things you hoped won’t happen do happen—and they occur with greater frequency than the things you hoped would happen. The reason is simple: being unprepared sets you up for failure. Ask negotiators what happens at the bargaining table when they are not prepared. Ask athletes what happens on the field of competition when they are unprepared. Preparation is often the separation between winning and losing.

Remember, spectacular achievement comes from unspectacular preparation.