Game Day
December 8th, 2008 Posted in General, Leadership“You don’t love me. You don’t care. You’re not taking this seriously,” my wife said to me with tears streaming down her face as we left Lamaze class. We were expecting the birth of our first child. I was only 27. My brain wasn’t fully developed yet so I turned to my wife and said, “Its ok. I’m good on Game Day. I’ve always been good on Game Day.”
“Game Day. Game Day. Are you kidding me? This is not some sports event. This is the birth of our child. We need to practice.” She was right. Practice makes a difference.
I’ve learned that whether we are talking about birthing a child or success in business, sports, tennis, music or any area of expertise, practice and preparation means everything.
However, in the era of instant gratification and entertainment television, it’s easy to lose sight of what true success requires. After all what most of us see is a successful person performing their craft. We see the concert, the movie, the computer program, the presentation, the play, the miracle surgery, the Olympic event. We see the end result. We see “Game Day.” But we don’t see the countless hours of sweat and toil and dedication and practice that are the mark of greatness.
Tiger Woods practiced thousands of puts before hitting the one to win the US Open. Rafael Nadal hit thousands of backhands before winning Wimbledon. Josh Groban sang for thousands of hours before reaching stardom. iPod designers spent thousands of hours to create a revolutionary product. The Symphony practiced thousands of hours to create music that brought the audience to tears. The sales team spent numerous hours preparing for the important meeting that landed their biggest client.
Even in my own work, it’s amazing how many hours of writing, research, preparation and travel that go into (1) one hour speech and a lifetime of learning that goes into one book.
I believe that 10 percent of our life is made up of significant Game Day moments and 90 percent is made up of the time we are preparing, practicing and waiting for those moments. How we practice and prepare with 90 percent of our time determines how we perform on Game Day and how we do on Game Day determines the level of our success.
Just as the Olympian must train for years for one defining race we must wake up each day and practice, prepare and train to be the best we can be so that on Game Day we’ll be ready. Let us not settle for mediocrity but strive each day for excellence. It requires hard work, preparation and hours of effort but it’s worth it.
And if you are wondering how I did when my wife went into labor, she’ll tell you I helped her breathe, timed the contractions and even stayed silent when she yelled at me to be quiet. I rose to the occasion but of course she was the superstar. After all it was Game Day. 
How are you preparing for Game Day?
Share your thoughts on our blog by clicking here.
Stay Positive!
-Jon
www.JonGordon.com
A POSITIVE MOMENT
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Tags: business, game day, jon gordon, Leadership, Newsletter
6 Responses to “Game Day”
By Jane Barr on Dec 8, 2008
Thanks very much for this message. Very timely for me as I learn a new process that I will be starting to train use as a training tool in a couple weeks. My goal is to be the best and the only way I will get there is to practice enough that the information just flows from me and I can put my full 100% attention on the participants.
By Paul on Dec 8, 2008
Hi!
Being a Monday this is my day for gathering everything up from the previous week and trying to capitalize on leads and contacts I have made. I plan on a Monday to take one new lead or contact and make them a customer. Whether it’s a $10.00 sale or a $10,000 sale. Having the customer sway a purchase decision, big or small, my way is is a triumph. The sale is practice and if handled properly will mean another, and then another. All these small “practice” sales will eventually lead to “Hail Mary” pass that will be a big “Game Winner”. The small plays set up the possibilty of the “Big One”
Keep smiling,even if it is a Monday!
Paul
By Marsha Keeffer on Dec 8, 2008
You really came through, Jon. It’s all in the practice, isn’t it? The reason we’re able to perform like champs on game day is because we’ve already done the run-through many times.
Putting it into practice builds muscle and brain memory that we then use for optimal performance - I’ve seen that happen many times with stellar candidates in interviews. It changed into a conversation because they knew their narrative and had done their homework.
By Moira McArthur on Dec 8, 2008
I aim to set up a driving school next year with my younger daughter. Before we can open our booking diaries, both have to qualify as Approved Driving Instructors.
We have 3 Game Days - three parts which must be taken within the space of two years or start all over again.
Part 1 has a pass rate of 52%.
Part 2 has a pass rate is 42% of the 52% who came through from part 1.
Part 3 rate is 24% of the 42% of those who came through from part 2.
Thus from, say, 100 Potential Instructors, only 10 will ever qualify.
At the moment we both have Pts 1 & 2 under our belts. On course to sit Part 3 in January 2009. Here’s hoping we have done enough preparation and can hold nerves in check.
Best wishes to any other readers heading for an Ultimate Game Day.
By Le Lew on Dec 12, 2008
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By Breena on Dec 16, 2008
This article was very helpful. While I am not in business, I am working towards a position of leadership in education. I think taking tips from the business world will be beneficial for me and my organization. I have a question: what do you do when the leader of the organization goes in the completely opposite direction of the advice you have given here? The leader is not positive, is reactionary and not proactive, takes ideas of others for his own, and whose team is made up of the complainers? I can see division and mistrust in this organization, but I am not in a leadership position. Any advice?