Emotions of poor
performance, laziness and general slackness amongst some people in South Africa
has driven me to thoughts on the lessons of life – in short Reality
From excellence to significance - that is the half time decision we have to
take but before we reach half time we need to “recalculate” (as we get the
Garmin notice when we are off track or on the wrong route). Do we spend enough
time to “recalculate” about our lives or are we just in a stream and there we
go on the road to nowhere?
How often do we hear that message on our wrong routes that
we have taken where a system “recalculate” the new direction that we have to
take. Isn’t that true in life that we constantly have to “recalculate” and
change direction to achieve the ultimate objective where we want to be? Don’t
we sometimes ignore that “recalculation”, carry on with the wrong route and
eventually stop, study the tracking device and then carry on a new route again?
How many times have the irritating “recalculation” sound been switched off
thinking that on “gut feeling” I can reach the target or objective?
But when we play our game of life, where we would like to
call half time around the 40 or 50’s mark, we also need to know where we want
to play before half time. It is so clear when someone plays in his own half,
always defending his goal line - defending from the one end to the other end,
occasionally giving a long kick in the half of the positive life but falling
back defending against the onslaughts of life again – never exploiting the
advantages of the long kick. Ignoring the sounds of “recalculating”, not being
persistent or not in an environment where he can or want to hear the “recalculating”
sounds. Pubs, clubs and social parties are not the best places to hear these
sounds of “recalculating”. On the other hand, if you don’t want to hear it you
will never hear it. If excellence is
not in your making, you would not get there – your body language and appearance
also tells the story of excellence.
“Strategic Time Out” (STO) is a concept in soccer, cricket
and in rugby (water break) that time out in soccer and that break in IPL
cricket to do a “mini recalculation” or just to rest – but in actual fact that break
needed to re strategize and to get new and quick direction. It is that chances
in life to get back on track to minimise the “recalculation”
calls – eventually to be in a position to move from excellence to significance
in our mid years when we go to the “change room of life” and call half time.
How will it feel if we never reach the “change room of life” because we never
succeeded in our first half? We neglected the game plan from the coach of life,
the lessons learned from others become mistakes repeated and in general we run
from the one side of life to the other – no direction to the gaol line of life.
We drop balls, we miss passes, we don’t see
the gaps of life and we never follow up on our long kicks. When we have opportunities
then it is from the defence on our own goal line.
Young South Africans –
stop playing in your own half defending your goal line, stop batting from the
back foot in defensive mode, listen to the “recalculation” calls from the Garmin
of life and use your Strategic Time Out to gain momentum – avoid the practices of
getting slack, achieving nothing and not gaining in the game of life. You are
the future leaders in this country and you are to take business forward through
passion, dedication, loyalty and hard work. Listen to the “recalculation calls”,
take STO and make the best of your game – play in the opponent half attacking
the goal line of the realities that we have to face every day.
Remember that Hope is not a Strategy –just a hope.
