Last second iconic shots to win the national championship like UNC’s Michael Jordan in 1982, Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono in 2016, and potentially the most iconic of all, Duke’s Christian Laettner in 1992. Underdogs shining against the big schools such as Gonzaga starting their big run in 1999, Steph Curry and Davidson making a statement to the Elite Eight in 2008, or VCU making it to the Final Four in 2011.
March Madness has given the sport of basketball an incredible number of memories imprinted into our minds. For students of the game, the intensity and speed of the game is fascinating to watch. Through the flow of the game, you can see how some players set the tone for the speed of the game while playing on the balls of their feet. Those that fall behind the speed and intensity start to play more on their heels.
Take a moment to stand up and feel the difference. Being on the balls of your feet allows the ability to make movements in any direction. It allows the body to flow with the fast pace of the game whether the balls in your hands or you’re matched up defensively on the other team’s top scorer.
When we’re on our heels, we minimize the ability to move in any direction quickly and effectively. We put ourselves in reactive mode from a position that won’t allow us to adapt to the next face pace movement.
Shift now to thinking of the fast pace and intensity life presents. Work throws us a new project to handle when we’re already overloaded. Struggles that can pop up with a health issue of your own or a loved one. Kid activities start to pile up each week. Life will continuously throw us situations that we’ll have to adapt to. The question becomes, are you ready by playing life on the balls of your feet or have you positioned yourself to stumble along by playing on your heels?
To practice playing on the balls of the feet, consider the next few ideas to strengthen the ability to adapt to what life throws at us:
- Work towards acceptance life is going to throw us all difficult situations – we can choose to try and force life to be this perfect picture, or we can accept life for what it is and adapt to the peaks and valleys we’ll encounter.
- There’s a controllable bucket and an uncontrollable bucket – invest time in making the most out of your controllable bucket.
- Find opportunity in every difficulty – when we play on the balls of our feet, we’re ready to attack a difficult situation as an opportunity to grow, not a hinderance on our life.
- Check out Conversation Between Your Ears for more on the keys to the mental approach during difficult times to help us stay on our toes.
- Refer to the quick blog 2 Mindsets – 2 Outcomes on mindset taking on challenges.
Take your step: this week when an unexpected hurdle presents itself, take a moment to pause and shift the mind from “why is this happening” to “what can I gain from this experience”. Think about how you can move to playing on the balls of your feet as opposed to letting the stumble occur while being back on your heels.
What other suggestions would you add to the list living life on the balls of your feet instead of back on your heels? Drop them in the comments below and can’t wait to hear some ideas to add to living life ready to adapt and move with what’s thrown at us.