I love the autumn season. The cooler weather, changing leaves, and kid’s going back to school are some of my main reasons. Truthfully though, my favorite thing about autumn is football season. I enjoy high school, college, and professional football, which can fill up a weekend fast (just ask my wife).
One thing I love about football (and all sports for that matter) is that you can relate it to real life in many ways. Football is a tough sport physically, but I think can be even more difficult mentally.
As I have watched football games over the years, I have always felt that being a defensive back is probably the most mentally demanding position outside of the quarterback.
One of the cardinal rules for a defensive back is to not let anyone behind you. As the last line of defense, if someone gets behind you, there is no one else to prevent the other team from scoring a touchdown. Unfortunately for most defensive backs every week, someone usually gets behind you and scores. This may be in front of thousands of screaming fans who know you are to blame.
The amazing part to me is that the same defensive back who just gave up a touchdown to the other team has to go right back out on the field and try to stop them again. The phrase you will often hear from sports commentators describing what the defensive back has to do to succeed is “put the past behind you” or “let it go and just worry about the next play.”
I find this so true of insurance agents. Everyday, insurance agents who put themselves out there will get beat. Beat by the competition, beat by large price increase, beat by a non-renewal. As insurance agents, we get beat up everyday.
Just like a good defensive back, great agents must put the past behind them and focus on the present. The great defensive backs in football will occasionally get beat, but they go right back out there and make the next play. They learn from their mistake and try not to let it happen again.
Insurance agents can learn a tremendous amount from defensive backs and all great sports athletes. You will fail. You will make mistakes. You will get beat.
The difference between the good and great individuals in sports and in business is mental fortitude. It’s never giving up and always having the belief that they can and will succeed. Whether you are getting booed by thousands of fans or just lost a large account to a competitor, superstars get right back up and make the next play.
Both the sports world and the business world require a high level of mental toughness. How will you respond the next time you get beat? The choice is yours.
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