Coach corrected, “Keep your eye on the ball and your follow-through will be better next time.  Remember, you’re not competing with others; you’re simply doing your personal best!”  We are blessed with a PE Coach who understands learners and shares life lessons with just a few simple words. His words appeared today in a writer’s notebook; I had the opportunity to elaborate with the child:

• Me:  What do these words mean to you?
• Child:  Well, it means I was thinking about everything else I needed to do and not doing the one most important thing…keeping my eye on the ball!
• Me:  This happens in life everyday to me.
• Child:  Well, being the principal means you have to do everybody else’s stuff so no wonder you can’t watch the ball!  Just do your personal best, Mrs. Van.  🙂

We’re not alone–in the gym or in life.  Distractions cause us to lose our focus.  We allow the trivial or all the details to get in the way of the most important or meaningful point.  Busyness and stress keep us from developing the relationships we need to move forward.  We fret about the past, worry about the future, and take focus off the present.  Bombarded by information (especially social media) and other daily distractions, we forget what is truly important.  We often focus on the outcomes instead of the process and wonder why we miss the target.  We focus on everything else except THE BALL.

As we roll into this second semester full force, I challenge all of us to keep our eye on the ball.  Get back to basics, routines, and fundamentals.  Identify the simple actions crucial to your daily success (as Mr. Van says, “those items most critical to your continued existence on the planet”).  Reflect on what really matters.  Here’s hoping we all keep our eye on the ball and take our game to a new, higher level!