On a Friday night in October 1980, I suited up for my first high school varsity football game. Four days earlier, my junior varsity coach told me I was being moved up to varsity along with two other teammates. I was nervous, considering that first varsity game would be against CIF powerhouse Melodyland High School. The head coach told me I’d be second string left guard and would start on all special teams.
As I lined up for the opening kickoff, I could see that All-CIF fullback Tim Fletcher was back to receive. He was short, appeared to have no neck, and ran as fast as a deer. When the ball was kicked, I ran as hard and fast as I could down the field. Tim Fletcher took the kick and was running along the sideline, right in my path. I closed my eyes and hit him head on. I saw stars and the force of the hit ripped my chinstrap in half. He went out of bounds and I ran semi-dazed over to my sideline. It took a few minutes to get the ringing in my ears to stop, but I felt great. A full speed hit on my very first varsity play.
But I was a 16 year old kid back then, with no fear (or common sense). Seven years later, things changed dramatically.
I was in the Navy stationed over in Western Australia. There was joint USN/Royal Australian Navy rugby team and I immediately tried out and made the team. Rugby is similar to American football but there are no helmets and pads. Anxious to recapture the adrenaline of the Friday Night Lights, I couldn’t wait for the first game.
We took a seven-hour bus trip to the Australian city of Perth to play a local club. The match was held on a big multi-plex field. When it came time for the opening kick, I looked down the field at the opposing team. A stocky Pacific-Islander-looking guy stared back at me. When we kicked off, he took the ball and headed toward me.
But I was a different person. While still very young, I was not nearly as fearless. AND, I was a new dad of a five-month old daughter. Suddenly, I was mortal. And that runner ran me over before I could even figure out what happened. I failed to meet speed and power with that of my own. That hit had me second-guessing everything I did as a rugby player, and soon I lost interest in the game.
It seems to be counter-intuitive to rush head-first, at full speed, into something that’s coming towards you, but it works. And, when you attack a problem at full speed, it doesn’t hurt nearly as bad.
As we prepare for a new year with hopefully good goals and a much safer and friendly world, there will no doubt be some tasks you won’t want to do. When this happens think about what would happen if you approached them at FULL SPEED?
- Dreading signing up for a college course? Make it the first thing you do in the morning.
- No looking forward to reaching out to a network contact? Do it Fast. And do it First.
- Know you’re not going to want to get up and exercise in the morning? Pull your workout clothes out and put them in the bathroom. Attack your workout full speed.
Growth, particularly after a hellacious year, won’t come easy. I’m already making a list of some unpleasant things I’ll have to do next year to keep my business growing. Trust me, I’ll be taking my own advice. Will you join me?
For 2021: No Excuses. Full Speed Ahead.