The Pivot and Drive to the Basket

(An excerpt from Chapter 14 of Time-Out!)

Pivot – the point at which it becomes necessary to alter course to avoid an obstacle and continue forward momentum to achieve a goal.

Have you ever watched an offensive basketball player dribble a ball the length of a court, only to have defenders jump in their way to stop or deter them? If so, you’ll notice the player usually pivots to move around the defenders. With each new defender approaching, the offensive player pivots in one direction or another, dribbles around the defender, drives to the basket and SCORES! Some of the games greatest players of the NBA like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Jerry West and #10 Walt Frazier (my childhood idol) have all done that numerous times in their careers. THAT is an example of perseverance!

As previously mentioned in the book, there will always be a price to pay for reaching your goals and dreams. Sometimes that price is subtle and sometimes it’s more obvious. There will always be obstacles, challenges and people that will get in your way too. You’ll need to pivot from time to time, even if the obstacles appear to be insurmountable. The good news is you always have options and choices in the pursuit of your dreams. Do not be afraid to choose and move if you are not getting the results you want.

Choosing additional courses of action in challenging situations is what I refer to as the Art of Perseverance. Perseverance means that no matter what gets in your way, you will not let it stop you. To do that you truly have to be committed to your BIG WHY. Your Big Why is the reason or purpose you forge forward in life and don’t give up. It supports you when things don’t feel good or are uncomfortable. Your Big Why could be providing for your family, taking care of an ill parent, raising money for an orphanage, regaining your health, or a whole host of I’m getting out of bed today and getting after it reasons.

In 1953, a fledgling U.S. Company, Rocket Chemical Company, and its staff of three, set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. The work took place in a small lab in San Diego, California. It took the inventors 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out for WD—40® a rust protection solvent. The original secret formula for WD—40®— which stands for Water Displacement, perfected on the 40th try — is still in use today.

This is a great example of pivoting and driving to the basket. When one idea, method or strategy didn’t work, others were discovered through sheer determination and perseverance. Learning opportunities exist at times like that. It’s simply known as the perseverance process. What if after every experience you perceived as a failure, or step back, you asked yourself the following: What worked? What didn’t work? What’s next? That simple. These three questions allow you to reflect on, learn from and be conscious of what you did that actually worked, what didn’t actually work, and what’s next. Just an opportunity to pivot and keep going!

Embrace Risk, Embrace Success in 2010 – Tom

To learn more about the Art of Perseverance, go to http://www.TomHaupt.com/about-the-book and buy your copy of Time-Out! Winning Strategies for Playing a Bigger Game in Life today. Or to find out more about Tom Haupt, his presentations, consulting services, or trainings, go to http://www.TomHaupt.com.