EYES ON THE PRIZE

I am not a Lebron James fan.
I’ve been obsessed with Kobe Bryant for as long as I’ve been watching basketball. KING KOBE!

But…I do like Steph Curry and would love to see the Warriors take another championship.

I am not a Lebron James Fan.

But I respect Lebron James and all he has done for his team.
And quite honestly, if he were to win, I wouldn’t be so pissed about it.
The man has earned his place in history.

I am co-writing today’s post with some input from my partner Gino.
He’s in a pretty foul mood today, not because he’s the biggest Lebron James fan,
but as someone that admires hard work, he gets really upset when hard work is diminished by lack of focus.

I had a different blog to post today…but we’ve been chatting all morning and this one just came to me.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE.

Here you are, the underdog in what is going to be your most difficult series to date. You are playing an away game. You
have an opportunity to win…..but you are not focused. You are not zoned in or aware of whats going on. Your eyes aren’t on the prize. And so you blow your shot.

Stay Focused

Whether you are in school, building a career or running a business you have to stay focused on your goals. Being focused goes beyond just showing up and being marked present. Consistent focus requires discipline, particularly when you are worn down.

JR Smith was clearly unfocused at the end of that game. Evaluate yourself and your teammates. Is everyone focused on a common goal? Is that focus consistent regardless of the variables? You can’t win if you’re not focused.

Situational Awareness
Situational awareness goes hand in hand with focus, but I believe it is a learned trait. It’s critical that we practice making ourselves aware of what is taking place in our spaces, and then learn to adapt quickly to those situations. JR Smith was obviously not aware of the importance of that possession. Because of that lack of awareness, he didn’t make a decision that would propel his team to success.

It’s 2018 and the world is changing rapidly around us. Are you making 2011 moves? Are ayou adapting to your situation or are you lost in a daydream? You can’t dominate any area of your life without situational awareness.

Accountability
This is, of course, a dominant theme in many of my posts. I searched for an interview in which JR Smith says, I really messed up. I was zoned out. Maybe he said it to his teammates. He certainly owes an apology to them and Cavs fans, more than he owes to anyone else. As you grow through life with your eyes on the prize be sure to hold yourself accountable for your actions and the results they produce. You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge is broken.

So Gino is in a somber mood. He is definitely the hardest working young man I know. At 25, he works over 80 hours a week, every week, towards his goals. The game for him was really symbolic of what takes place in our workspaces and our lives. It hit home for us both how, no matter how hard we work towards our shared goals, if our team isn’t focused on the prize we will never manifest our full potential. Cultivating an Eyes on the Prize Mindset isn’t easy but it is necessary. It’s either you’ve got it or you don’t. Work towards being that difference maker, the person that is committed and focused. Not only will your become irreplaceable, but you’ll set yourself up for a lifetime of options. Like Lebron has demonstrated in his career, sometimes you have to make trades if it means you can build a better team where everybody has their eyes on the prize.

Are you the JR Smith or Lebron James of your Team?
Eyes Forward…

Tahirah K-A Banks with Contributions from Gino S. Webster.

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