In a few short hours, most TV sets in America will be tuned to the Super Bowl.
While the motivations of some watchers will be oriented toward the commercials (which have taken on a life of their own) or the halftime show or the food that accompanies the many Super Bowl watching parties, most viewers will primarily interested in the game – which is expected to be an especially good one this year.
The hype leading up to the Super Bowl is pretty incredible in the U.S. Although I don’t spend a lot of time watching TV during the week, one of the times that I do watch is during my cardio workout at the gym. This week, virtually every TV set at the gym was turned to a channel where almost all of the programming was related to the Super Bowl.
I couldn’t help but notice that one word came up more than any other – FOCUS.
Whether one was hearing “words of wisdom” from a football analyst or a player preparing to participate in the game or a player or coach of a team that didn’t make it, the emphasis was on “Focus”.
Whether it is focusing on preparation in the face of all the pre-Super Bowl hype or staying focused on the game plan rather than allowing anxiety to take over during the game or focusing on a specific assignment on a specific play, there appears to be universal agreement that the mental task of staying focused will play a determining factor in a game such as this between two teams that are physically quite evenly matched.
Regardless of what our fields of endeavor may be, most of us are unlikely to ever perform on a stage that gets noticed as much as the Super Bowl. We can all, however, learn from those who are among the best in the world at what they do.
There is a lesson to be learned from all those pre-Super Bowl TV interviews. It’s a lesson that many of us heard throughout our school years. Stay focused! Even though things may be hard and there may be distractions and (just like on the football field) there may be trash-talkers telling you that you can’t accomplish what you set out to do, your best chance of success comes from staying focused.
Make certain that you build in time for fun and that you maintain a physically and emotionally healthy and balanced lifestyle, but don’t forget to stay focused – so that you can get to and win your Super Bowl.