The Problem With The Prevent Defense

How often do you see a sports team work hard, play focused, display dominance and build a lead…then fall back into a “prevent defense?”  More often than not, when this happens, the team looks, acts, and plays like a completely different team.  The result…they usually end up giving up points and losing (or lessening) the lead until they are forced to go back to their “regular game” to try and refocus for the win.

How often do we see this in life?  We start out focused, purposeful, and fired-up about accomplishing something, achieving something, improving something, or delivering something.  We are “hungry” to prove, “hungry to learn, “hungry” to make our mark.  We hit those targets and things are “good.”  The tendency is that, at some point we say (whether we realize it or not) that things are “good enough” and we lose focus and slow down.  We go into a “prevent defense.”  Not pushing, but simply trying to maintain the game.

I will ask you to consider that the champions never go into a “prevent defense” mindset.  That “good” is never “good enough.”  That they never go from “attack” to “react.”  That the true champions always push for a desired outcome around continual growth and expansion.

If you’re just trying to “maintain the game” without growth, you lose purpose, focus, and identity over time.  Without direction or desired outcomes in our life, the game becomes a game of survival.  Instead, consider that the key to maintaining that passion and purpose for whatever you want is to create it with clear objectives…a place you’re trying to go.

Do you approach each day with a desired outcome personally and professionally?  Or, do you simply act in response to whatever the day throws at you?  Do you have a plan to improve (expand) yourself personally and professionally, or do you simply try to maintain the game.  Do you ATTACK or do you REACT?

The reality is that when you feel like you have lost your passion and purpose, the problem comes down to the fact that you have lost your clarity of what you want and why you want it.  If you want passion and purpose in your personal or professional life, create it.  Approach each day with a desired outcome around your objective and – most importantly – do the work!