A coach once told me early in my coaching career, “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” He was a part-time Linebacker Coach at one of the first high schools I coached at in the afternoon. I was going into my second year at the school and that simple phrase resonated with me until this very day. While trying to find my own routine and how to effectively communicate with the players I was responsible for, this phrase took on many meanings to me.
At the core of us all in this profession, it’s about being in a position to make a move at a moment’s notice or react when necessary. I’ve broken it down to a few keys that I hope will help you:
- Read and able ears: As much as the phrase above was a representation to our players to be ready to react based on keys for their position, this speaks to a deeper meaning. In order to “stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready,” you have to listen completely. Whether it’s a relationship your in, reviewing instructions on a new job, completing an assignment or dealing with a conflict, listening and comprehending what needs to be done is a must. Notice I stated, listening then comprehending. When I have success, it always comes from listening first then comprehending. It’s almost impossible to execute anything with any consistent level of success if we’re not going to first understand the requirements. While being a teacher of Quarterbacks for over 20 years I have studied my craft by first listening to the Quarterbacks in my room. I’ve been married for almost 15 years and to better understand what my wife’s true needs of me have been, I’ve had to first listen instead of aimlessly trying to force my view on her. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes of rushing into situations with a predetermined evaluation and each time, it stemmed from not listening thoroughly to the information being communicated. It’s important to remember again, in order to stay ready and not just be reactionary, we must first be able to evaluate through listening carefully.
- Crushing the pill: A wise mentor of mine, Dr. Gerry Wilson has coined a phrase that I certainly have adopted in my ability to diagnose situations I have either been involved with or I’m being asked to be a part of. “Crushing the pill” is vital to not living a life of being blindly reactionary. As Dr. Wilson has always conveyed to me, “every interaction has treatment implications.” Every contact, interaction you have requires a way to disseminate information in a simple form. Once you’ve been able to listen to the core of what’s going on, you can piece together a routine or process that works for the person you’re dealing with. All of my interactions with the quarterbacks I’ve coached have helped me to come up a methodology that works for that quarterback. A “one size fits all” approach to life simply means you’re not listening or some level of arrogance has crept into your approach to life and you refuse to see things with any level of objectivity. If arrogance is a weak spot for a coach that has a “one size fits all” mentality, I can almost bet that definitely doesn’t and won’t work in any marriage relationship or friendship. Everyone has a trigger or triggers — things that activate their learning or ability to understand what you’re conveying. When I speak of these triggers I’m not talking about what makes them mad rather what allows you to stimulate their interest. Once you can reach someone’s trigger point, you can now press towards making an impact with them by simply crushing the information into a digestible form they can understand and acknowledge so they can begin learning.
- Work until the work is done: Put in a consistent effort until the mission is complete. Show up, be consistent and endure until the work is done. Now keep in mind, a big part of your “staying ready” is having the work ethic to be prepared for whatever may come and when it comes you have been practicing and working at it for so long you can endure until the job is complete. You’re not preparing because you’ve been practicing and working within your craft on a consistent level.
This year’s Super Bowl consists of two teams with coaches and players that understand these three steps. Tom Brady truly understands preparation because he’s been working on the “staying ready” aspect for years. He’s had multiple puzzle pieces that have played around him and he has won with a combination of different athletes each year. He’s had “Ready and able ears,” he’s “Crushed the pill,” and he has proved that he’s “worked until the work was done.”
Enjoy this weekend’s game and I hope you look beyond the phrase, “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” a little differently.
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