Adjustments

It’s most notable in sports that outcomes are all about adjustments. The individual or team that can best adjust to whatever the competition is throwing at them will most likely end up the winner. 

Dateline September 24, 2011 [Lexington Herald-Leader] Bryan Station High School trailed rival host Tates Creek HS by a score of 6-22 at halftime.  However, in the second half, Bryan Station outscored the home team 29 to 7 to win by a final score of 35-29.  BS Defenders’ first year coach, Craig Yeast, was asked what he said to the team at halftime.  “I told them they had 24 minutes left to glory, that we’re the Defenders and we don’t give up.  We play until it’s all zeroes (on the clock), and I guaranteed we’d win if we continued to fight.” 

That’s a global adjustment – an adjustment in Attitude and an adjustment in Belief in what’s possible, but also an adjustment in understanding that time – sooner than later – does run out. 

Detailed, on-the-field adjustments also have to be made with each play.  The offense has to figure out how the defense is lining up, and adjust accordingly.  Defensive players have to figure out what weapons and play options the offense will most likely use, and adjust accordingly.  If a lineman always blocks to his left, or if the quarterback never leaves the “pocket” for a pass, or if the left safety is impossible to outrun (no sense in being a damned fool about it!), adjustments can generally be made on-the-fly to improve the odds of a favorable outcome. 

Any coach will admit that the most formidable foe is a team that has just lost, not a team that has just won.  The losing team is more hungry for victory and is likely working harder with more purpose to correct deficiencies and cement advantages.  Graphically illustrating this fact of life, the 2012 BCS championship game (Jan. 9, 2012) was won by the Alabama Crimson Tide (21-0) over the LSU Tigers who had beaten the Tide (9-6 in overtime) during the regular season matchup.  That’s a 27-9 adjustment!

What adjustments are you making?  How well is what you’re currently doing working for you?  Are you getting the best outcomes you can hope for?  And how sustainable are the results you’re getting?  Want more?  Deserve more!  Do something different – better, more creative.  More intentionally.  More purposefully.  Adjust.  Each play is a new play and each day is a new day.  What are you learning about yourself and the world around you, and how well – and how much – are you adjusting to improve the odds of a successful outcome – not just THIS time, but for NEXT time and for ALL time? 

"Make purposeful adjustments a habit.  Do the global adjustments in Attitude and Belief that will give “wings” to an all-out, unencumbered effort (“Eventual Surmountability”, combined with a sense of urgency, works really well as a guiding First Principle here); make the detailed adjustments of “how now?” and “what next?” that will get a good job done better; and understand that time and energy eventually do run out.  Adjust accordingly."   Quartermaster   

“No one can go back and make a brand new start; but anyone, starting now, can make a brand new ending.”   (attributed to Karl Barth)