By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
“There is no way that ‘it is.’ There’s only the way you say it is. The Universe around you only knows what you show it today. You are the Inventor. Your life is the Invention. You get to make it up. So, make it up good!” ~ Gail Blanke, author
Known globally as a masterful motivator, Gail Blanke, founder and president of LifeDesigns, is also the best-selling author of “Between Trapezes: Flying Into a New Life With the Greatest of Ease.”
Recently I had an opportunity to share with Gail some of the challenges NFL players often face during their transition into their new lives after football. She was quick to say that those challenges aren’t obstacles at all; but rather perfect opportunities for former players to continue striving for greatness in life. Gail asserts that those who make it to the NFL have already committed to living an extraordinary life. “There is nothing ordinary about an NFL player” says Gail, “so why wouldn’t he strive to continue to live an extraordinary life after football? It’s just a different game and it requires a different perspective; a different game plan.”
Here are Gail’s Six Steps to Successful Self-Reinvention:
1. Never Underestimate the Power of Your Vision. Whether you’re leading a team, company, a country, a defensive line, or a family, there is really only one important question to ask yourself: ”how good can I make it?” Whenever he set out to build a new theme park, Walt Disney always sent out the directive to his team to “Build the Castle First.” When you feel the magic of your vision, you are propelled to go the distance. See the vision in your mind and hold it in your heart. Don’t take your eyes off of your visionary castle.
2. Throw Off the Limits. Listen to others (and yourself) to discover what doesn’t fit with what you already know and believe – about the world, your passion, yourself, the people you love. Mentally throw out anything negative or restrictive. Don’t listen to anyone saying “you can’t do that because…” Break old patterns that inhibit your thinking and throw off any limits about what you believe you can do. Keep a list of your personal discoveries and watch it grow. Add to it everyday. You are feeding your vision.
3. Let Go. Clean out your locker and get rid of “old emotional stuff.” Let go of being right about how wrong something might have been. Let go of how you’ve always done it, of the old view of yourself, of your old limitations, of the “type” of person you think you are. Remember what Michelangelo said: “David was always there in the marble. I just took away everything that was not David.”
4. Celebrate your Defining Moments. It’s better than OK for us to hold onto our own extraordinary memories of our playing days. Gail recommends that we remember, celebrate and own our “defining moments.” She points out that as men who have played in the NFL, we have hundreds of them! Always lead from your highest point. Use your greatest accomplishments as a springboard to the next challenge. What’s next is not an obstacle but only a challenge; just like the start of every single game you ever played. You thrive on challenges; in fact, you are made for them.
5. Learn to distinguish between fact and interpretation in your work and in your life. We live in a sea of interpretations which many of us treat as facts. Einstein said, “Ultimately, there are very few facts.” Make up interpretations for the things (the facts) that happen in your life that propel you forward, toward your “castle.”
6. Embrace Flexibility and Adapt to Changes. Stay light on your feet and ready to re-invent, improvise, and adapt. It’s a new game and you have a new plan. Darwin said, “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, or even the smartest; it’s the one who can adapt to change.” As a former player, your ability to adapt to the changes in your environment is a skill you already have mastered.