Here's a lesson from a recent article I read. It confirms that all of us -- even the best of the best -- have to go through periods of losing, of unproductive outputs, and of not living up to expectations.
While speaking with reporters after a recent 100-94 Boston Celtics loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Kyrie Irving offered a truthful assessment of the current state of the Celtics: He said,
“We needed this. We’re not as good as we think we are. That’s really what it comes down to. … It’s real basketball now. It’s not just about the potential of the team or where we’ll be at the end of the season, it’s right now and taking care of what presently is in front of us.”
Two things come to mind in terms of what I took from Kyrie's remarks. The first is that you have to be honest with yourself and your team. Self-reflection and the ability to execute a "truth audit" is crucial to get to where you want to go. The second is -- as I often say -- you have to live in the world of "every." The best teams and individuals understand that every day counts. Or as Kyrie put it, "taking care of what presently is in front of us." There is no "on-off" switch in the world of success.