CHAPTER 58
RAISE YOUR GAME
The phrase “raise your game” is a familiar one. It is common with those who play sports. Coaches often encourage their teams to raise their game, first as individual players and then as a team. They do this because the success of any team depends on the drive of individual players as well their ability to convert individual brilliance into team success and goal.
Coaches acknowledge the fact that there are varying oppositions; big teams, small teams, cup bound, relegation bound, average teams, superlative teams, moneybags, and broke teams etc. teams play to the caliber of challenge they face as opposition. Every coach’s goal is to win the championship. They have to challenge the big teams, mediocre team as well as relegation bound teams and they have to win them all if they would have to win the cup. Coaches acknowledge that “form is not permanent” and with their poise to win, they often encourage their teams with the help of team psychologists. Great teams build in the mentality of their players the fact that they must win against all teams whether they are giants or mediocre. They encourage their players to strive for individual laurels as well as team goals.
In life, we have varying privileges as challenges. Sometimes we face small storms and we easily get over them. At other times, we face giant challenges where we find ourselves helpless. It is not because we are not doing what is expected of us that we fail to achieve our goals, it is often because the challenges has moved ahead of our capabilities. We will have to move one-step ahead and develop a new set of capabilities to be able to challenge them.
Life is inconsistencies filled. As much as we do want that consistency, we are forced to revel in what life brings. Great coaches admit there will always be those moments when players loose form and are game rusty but they encourage their players to remain focus and work harder. The difference between great players and the middle mediocrity is that at every point they come down; they do know how to come back stronger than they once was.
We should not accept stagnancy when our challenges are increasingly improving in style. What might have worked before now might just be archaic for the next bout. The fact that we succeeded moments ago using one strategy does not mean it is going to work for every other challenge. Coaches know these so they change strategy with the challenger. We have to be open to dynamics. We have to be open to new ideas and technology that can put us at constant advantageous position over our competitors. This is what raising your game means.
How do you raise your game? Teams that want to raise their games get new game changing coach if their former coach was not achieving, coaches drop redundant players and go for versatile ones. You cannot quit from life’s game. You are coach and player. But you can change factors around you. Students change teachers, people change friends, businesses change location. The essence for all this changes is to make significant improvement.
Now you ask yourself this pertinent question. What are the things I need to quit to raise my game and lift me to the next level? When you do, sincerely outline them on a piece of paper, and then query your mind on how you can quit this things or personalities. Resolve to make those changes and go ahead and do it.
Do not accept the average life when you are worth more. You just have to raise your game and play on the pitches of life’s best team.