It’s March Madness people.
That time of the year, where the underdog becomes a winner. That time of the year, where the good become great. And that time of the year where one team rises above the rest to cut down the nets.
But March Madness also teaches us a few lessons about life and success. Oftentimes, it easier for us to understand analogies that we all can relate to, and March Madness is one event that everyone is familiar with. In watching all the tournament games year after year, I believe these games have a direct correlation to our lives. So, with that being said, I wanted to share with you three life lessons on success that you can learn from watching the NCAA Tournament:
#1 | Preparation is key. During the NCAA Tournament, teams are forced to play opponents that they have never seen before and from conferences they have never played against. When you play someone new, it is crucial that you prepare for that opponent. However, given the quick turnaround for tournament games, it is often difficult for teams to have enough time to watch tape and develop a gameplan for their next opponent. The teams that prepare the best, tend to be more prepared for how they want to play their style of basketball versus allowing their opponent to dictate the pace of play. In order for us to see success, we have to prepare ourselves for our own game, and remember that only we control how fast or how slow our successes come.
#2 | It’s okay to be desperate. When you want to win a game, you will do all you can to ensure that victory. We’ve seen teams try and extend games by fouling players to make it a free-throw contest. We’ve seen teams panic by rushing their offensive possessions or by throwing up three-point shot after three-point shot – all of out of desperation. And the most desperate move is the half-court-and-beyond buzzer beater. If you want to be successful, there should be some level of desperation to where you are willing to do anything to make it happen. You should always have a plan to get back in the game if things are not going as you originally planned, and sometimes you will find yourself heaving that one last idea hoping it works. The good thing is, March Madness is always full of buzzer-beaters, and your last heave just might go in.
#3 | You don’t have to be big to be great. One thing that the NCAA Tournament teaches us year after year, is that everyone can be a winner. When we fill out our brackets, we always anticipate the 12-seed/5-seed upset, 11-seed/6-seed upset and the occasional 13-seed/4-seed upset. There have even been 15-seed/2-seed upsets in past tournaments. Some analysts say these upsets happen because the higher seeds are overlooking and underestimating the lower seeds. But I view these upsets as the lower seeds wanting to prove to the world that just because their schools may be small, their budgets may be minimal and their fan bases may be low in numbers – they believe they can win any game! That’s the mentality we need to be successful in the real world. Regardless of your upbringing, your obstacles, or lack of support systems, your desire for success comes from within despite having to be without.
Enjoy the tournament and I wish you all the success in the world!
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