ARE YOU CAPABLE OF A COMEBACK?
Sports are filled with some amazing and memorable comeback stories. In fact, just this season the Minnesota Vikings completed the biggest come-from-behind win in pro football history, clawing their way back from a 33-point halftime deficit. Comebacks are rare because making a comeback is tough, regardless of who you are or where you're working to win. But sometimes coming from behind is the only way to get the outcome you want, and you never know when it might be required of you. So my question today is simple...are you capable of a comeback?
Executing a comeback is tough partly because it requires us to prepare long before that challenging moment ever arrives. The problem is, most of us don't prepare with a comeback in mind. Most of us prepare with perfection in mind. Human nature encourages us to envision a naive picture of effortless success instead of the more sobering and realistic alternative. We like to picture ourselves executing at a high level, making all the plays, and coasting to that winning outcome. There can be value in that kind of visualization. But if we aren’t careful, it can leave us unprepared for the moments when a comeback is called for.
That’s because a comeback can only occur when you aren't playing at a high level, when you're not making all the plays, and when you aren't headed for the outcome you want. When you find yourself in a moment of crisis like this, especially one you haven’t prepared for, your decisions are more likely driven by the emotion of that moment - by your disappointment or frustration. Those feelings amplify the voice of your inner loser and encourage you to give up the fight. There's no use, that voice says. It’s too late. You blew it.
For that reason, building your capacity for a comeback requires you to do some rather inconvenient and uncomfortable preparation work. Instead of preparing with perfection in mind, it requires you to do something else that isn’t nearly as fun. It requires you to envision that in your big moment you haven’t played all that well, that your opponent's the one in control, or that for whatever reason, things haven’t gone according to plan. You have to envision yourself there - struggling and behind - so that you can decide, when that moment comes, who you’re going to be and how you’re going to respond.
You have to envision yourself there - struggling and behind - so that you can decide, when that moment comes, who you’re going to be and how you’re going to respond.
Right now's a great time to consider that response because right now, in this moment void of any disappointment or frustration, the voice of your inner champion is more clear. If you want to be capable of making a comeback, despite the seemingly impossible odds, then you can't be driven by your emotion. Instead, you have to do what winning requires you to do. What will it require from you in that moment? To help clarify, let's look at Minnesota Vikings superstar Adam Thielen, who provides a clear blueprint, straight from the biggest comeback in NFL history.
Thielen, the talented Vikings wide receiver, just happened to be mic’d up for his team’s historic comeback earlier this season. As the the highly favored team that day, Minnesota had an embarrassing first half performance. Despite his disappointment and frustration, however, Thielen led his team with poise and positivity. He made a deliberate effort to keep encouraging, supporting, and uplifting those around him. He emphasized urgency and execution. They didn’t have much time, he was willing to admit, but they had enough time…if they had the toughness to stay in the fight. Despite the seemingly impossible odds, his belief never wavered. Gradually the Vikings clawed their way back and eventually won in overtime, 39-36.
Do you think Adam Thielen made those difficult but critically important choices right then and there, in the midst of his disappointment and frustration? I don’t think so. I bet those were decisions he made long before that moment of crisis ever arrived. Of course now, looking back, we celebrate his behavior and point to it as a primary reason for his team's comeback success. But doing what champions do in that moment didn’t guarantee Adam Thielen the outcome he wanted. He just realized it maximized whatever small chance of winning that remained, and ensured he could be proud of his performance, regardless of the outcome.
I wish I could sit here and tell you that the winning outcome you’re after will be easy to come by, and that you'll always be able to play from ahead. But the truth is, at some point, maybe when you really don't want or when you least expect, a comeback may be required. The hard truth is that on the big stage, you may not play all that well. Your opponent may be the one in control, or for whatever reason, things just may not go according to plan. In that moment of crisis, the voice of your inner loser will be loud and clear. There's no use, it’ll be saying. It’s too late. You blew it.
If you’ve prepared yourself for that moment, then you’ll be equipped to ignore that voice, and equipped instead to do what Adam Thielen did - to do what champions do. To stay positive, and to keep encouraging, uplifting, and supporting those around you. To focus on executing with urgency. To stay in the fight and keep believing. Those choices don't guarantee you the outcome you want, of course. But they do maximize whatever small chance of winning that remains, and they ensure you can be proud of your performance, regardless of the outcome.