Pause, Rest and Reset.
Like most competitive sports, football has its rest period after the first 45 minutes of play. It’s called Half-time. At half time, players along with their coaches get to rest, review their tactics so far and restrategize for the second half of the match. I have seen on several occasions how the game dynamics change when teams resume for the second half.
One of such matches was the 2005 Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool, The Reds made one of the most remarkable comebacks in football history. Popularly referred to as the Miracle of Istanbul, the Liverpool team won the match and got their fifth European Cup to the surprise of football lovers worldwide.
The stage was set at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey and the AC Milan team was the favourites to win the trophy. Actually, the 2005 class of the Italian club side had an assemblage of international megastars and high achievers. Seven of Milan’s starting 11 had won the Champions League just two years before and at least 3 of them were World Cup winners. On the other hand, the Liverpool team was a weak opposition. That year, Liverpool’s domestic performance in the Premier League was so poor they hadn’t even qualified for the next Champions League season. To football commentators, the Liverpool team was more of a ‘who are you?‘ playing against the ‘who is who’ of international club football.
True to the expectation of the spectators, the Italian side raced into a well-deserved 3-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Paolo Maldini and Hernan Crespo, who scored twice. At half time, both teams went to their respective dressing rooms for the half-time talk but fans kept cheering all across the stadium.
Something happened during the 15-minute break. Even though they were losing, the Liverpool team could hear the chants of their supporters while in the dressing room. Club manager Rafa Benitez said calmly, “Look boys, it can’t continue like this. We have to give the fans something to cheer about in the second half.” Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia told CNN, “Maybe that gave us a little bit of strength.”
After the break, the tables turned. The Reds came roaring back into the game, scoring three goals in the space of six minutes. Nobody saw that coming. They went on to win the match by penalties.
In the same way, pauses and rests are necessary in the rhythm of life to help us refresh, refuel and reposition for victory. As we approach the halfway mark in 2020, I encourage you to take a step back and rethink. This is particularly important since the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted most of our expectations for the year. The pandemic and its resultant socio-economic crisis have definitely reshuffled our plans in ways we didn’t envisage.
So, here are 3 things I encourage you to do in order to make sure the second half of 2020 is the batter one for you.
- Review the Year So Far
How have you performed this year? Have an honest discussion with yourself. Keep it simple and objective, there’s also no need for self-condemnation. Just ask yourself a few questions like; How much effort and energy did you put into the first half of the year? How have the challenges around you affected your resolve to stay on course? Are you on track with the goals you set for yourself? You will need to answer these questions and I must repeat, be brutally honest with yourself.
- Realign with Your Goals
If you drive frequently, you probably know the difference it makes when you realign your wheels. Realignment gets the wheels of your car on track especially if you often drive on bumpy roads. No doubt, 2020 has been a bumpy ride for all of us, so we all need some alignment. What adjustments do you need to make in your behaviours, habits or work plans to get back on track? You might also need to change some of your goals to reflect recent developments in your life. It’s important to identify them and set yourself back on course.
- Recommit to Your Vision
While some of your goals, action plans and strategies may need to change, it’s important to keep in focus your big picture. Your vision ab initio was to win! Don’t change that. Whatever winning means to you, you need to stay focused on it and stay committed to the vision you had about December 2020. Don’t just think it in your mind. Say it out loud, write it down and pursue it.
I know 2020 has thrown some curveballs at you, we all have been affected but I am convinced that we can still make the best of the year.
Remember, You Have Only One Life to Live, MAKE IT COUNT!
