Five Secrets to Remain Focused When Your Back is Against the Wall

Stay Focused on your Goals!!
Basketball often teaches us valuable lessons that we can apply to our own lives. During the 2016 NBA finals, for instance, whether you were rooting for the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers, we witnessed a number of viable strategies that can be used when our backs are against the wall, and how to stay laser-focused on your goals for the big win.
Even if you’re not a basketball fan, the seven-game series taught us five vital principles for achieving success:
1. Don’t complain. When the Cavaliers were losing three games to one during the best of seven series, with the world watching, it would have been easy to complain. It would have been easy to point fingers at the officials or other teammates. Instead, each player committed to doing what they needed to do to win. One starter, Kevin Love, went to the coach and volunteered to give up his starting position if it would help the team. He was willing to sacrifice his personal accolades for the big picture. When we are a part of a team, we too have to focus on the big picture to be successful.

2. Delete the junk from your mind. When the Cavaliers were down three games to one, many people said they could never win. Unfortunately, they had lost the NBA championship last year to the same team. Haters were saying, “they aren’t good enough and will lose again.” We have to delete from our minds the junk that we hear just as we delete junk from our computers. Junk only slows down our hard drive, and prevents us from achieving our goals. When negative people try to influence you, hit the delete button, and keep hitting delete delete delete. Stay focused on your goals. Only you can rewrite your story.

3. Don’t let past failures define you. To win, the Cavaliers had to forget about last year’s loss to Golden State. Use your past failures as a stepping stone. If you take the time to study why you didn’t succeed last time, you can rework your blueprint for success. LeBron James said he had to review films and determine how he could improve his game. He then discovered what he needed to change. We have to also be willing to make a change to improve. If we can’t accept that we need to make a change, sometimes this paralyzes us, and we will not move forward.

4. Don’t be intimidated. Golden State Warriors were the champs. To defeat a champion, you have to possess a champion mentality. Pay attention to details and visualize the goal, just as LeBron James visualized winning. Determine what you want to achieve, and see yourself accomplishing that goal.

5. Do your thing. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and determine how you can be a better you.
These principles can be applied in our daily lives. Eliminate self-doubt. People who achieve great success don’t allow past failures to define them. The next time your back is against the wall, try these strategies and you too can be successful.

Copyright©2016 by Winifred Bragg, MD. All Rights Reserved.