I had a recent discussion with my son about his upcoming basketball game and it struck me as a perfect analogy for the resilient worker in all of us.  The theme of the talk was to make the most of the minutes he played in the game.  He may get in for the whole game.  He may only get in for a short time.  Regardless, it is critical to make every single minute count!

And it is not just about scoring points.  Hustle for every loose ball.  Dive on the court.  Make your teammates better.  Play with passion and contagious enthusiasm.  This is your chance!  This will make your teammates better!  This will make it impossible for the coach to take you out of the game.

You may have a few turnovers and miss your first couple of jump shots.  Do not waste your minutes sulking about the last possession.  Turn the page, move forward and focus on the next play.  Your minutes on the court are precious and they cannot be squandered away dwelling on the past.  In addition, there may be a game where, for whatever reason, you do not get much playing time.  Those minutes on the bench STILL count.  Do not ruin that time grumbling or tearing down the players on the court.  Spend that time cheering on your teammates, firing up the bench, and creating a positive atmosphere that will catapult the team to victory.  Every player on the team matters.  Every player can make the difference between winning and losing.  Be the player who inspires victory.

In the same way, we must make every minute count in our work lives.  It is not just about making the big sale, winning the big case, coaching the star athlete, or landing the big client.  If that happens, be sure to celebrate!  But it is the hustle and the enthusiasm that lead up to those moments that really matter.  Build your business on a solid foundation by doing all the little things right and keeping that positive attitude.  You will inspire your co-workers to achieve more than they thought possible.  Eventually, the entire team will take notice and you will establish a winning culture.

But things may not always go your way.  You may be passed over for a promotion or become marginalized by new leadership.  The right people may not immediately recognize your talents.  Even when you are clearly superior, the inexplicable happens. So we need to find a way to deal with the madness.

Channel your frustration toward encouraging your fellow workers and working as hard as possible.   People will have to take notice.  Eventually your moment will come.  As long as you stay motivated and focused, your talents cannot stay hidden forever!

But even when you get your shot, things may not always go smoothly.  Enthusiasm, effort, and a positive attitude will get you far in life.  But nothing can guarantee success.  We have all made mistakes.  We have all miscalculated trends.  We have all blown great opportunities.  But when adversity strikes, we cannot spend precious time dwelling on our misfortune.  We can learn from our mistakes without curling up into a ball and feeling sorry for ourselves.  Failure is never permanent.

The best way to bounce back is through action!  Work on acing your next big test.  Work on mastering your next big presentation.  Work on winning your next big sale.  Work on landing your next big client.  Work on dominating your next business market.

You will never get back the time you waste trying to change the past.  Move forward and impress your co-workers with your resilience!  Be the person who inspires victory.

All we have to decide is, what to do with the time that is given us.–J.R.R. Tolkien

The same is true for everything we do in our lives.  You only have four years of high school or college.  You only have eighteen years until your children go away to school or the military.  You only have a certain amount of time to leave your legacy.  Be passionate!  Stay enthusiastic!  Continue to give maximum effort and keep that positive attitude even when things are not going your way!

You never know how the game is going to play out.  Sulking about the past will not improve your situation.  You have the power to change things through your actions.  Remember, we only get one shot at this life on earth.

Make the most of your minutes!