Getting to a First Down – Every Day

The inspiration for this blog was to document my pursuit of a good life – a life in which I know I have lived the best way possible.  Do I always achieve this?  No, no and even hell no.  But I will consider it a win if I always pick myself up and move the ball forward every day.

Recently I had a conversation with a lifelong friend who has had many of the same life challenges I have – we agreed that our daily goal was to get a “first down” every day.  Yet we know that this just isn’t possible every day – but even on the days we get “sacked” , we vowed to at least “move the ball forward”.  Since our talk, I have asked myself many times – what actions are a first down?  Or what constitutes “moving the ball forward”.  Where is that damned ball anyways?

I decided to sit down and write out what daily “first down” would mean to me.

First of all, when I leave this planet, I want people to remember me well, not as “that miserable stingy jerk”, or ” that workaholic who never had time for anyone”.  Yet, I want to be highly successful in my career.  So balanced days are critical in getting that yardage. I get yardage by remembering to tell those closest to me that I love them, I appreciate them, and they are special.

Career-wise, I get yardage by making sure I am proactive on at least one deal every day.  That means anticipating the customer’s response to what we  have to offer, and tailoring it to their needs.  Learning when the customer CAN buy, or when they are tire kicking.  And learning how to remove barriers to a sale.

Yardage also happens when I actually take care of my health, instead of shoveling food into my face as a stress release.  I get a 10 yard penalty for eating cheese, packaged foods, or stuff that is easy to grab but hard on my digestion.  Ordering a pizza is a definite “face mask”.  Going to the gym is at least 5 yards, and taking a walk is another five years.

Keeping my finances in order is also paramount to getting that first down.  Putting money in my savings account is a great yardage play, but impulse purchases are big time penalties.

Being kind and gentle to coworkers and friends in times of stress is also part of my game – it is so easy to be “short and snippy” when we are faced with too much to do and more work being piled on.  Yet these times when we snap and are uncaring are the way they are going to remember us in the future.

Yardage also comes from sharing words of wisdom, art that touches us, meaningful content, and technology advances that will help make someone’s life easier.

This is a start – I am sure more will bubble up from the innards of my brain as I have more time to ponder.

Stay tuned……