The Danger of Worrying About Results

It’s often said that comparison is the thief of joy, that stacking our accolades, our titles and ultimately our lives against someone else’s is the quickest way to ruin our peace of mind.

But recently, Georgia Football Coach Kirby Smart shared another mindset pitfall that may be even more relevant to us as coaches, executives and leaders.

“When you worry about results like so many people in our society do, it makes it tough to ever be happy,” said Smart, whose No. 1-ranked Bulldogs defeated No. 14 Clemson on Saturday, 34-3.

“We don’t concern ourselves with the results.”

So, what does Smart want his players and staff to focus on instead?

1. Giving unbelievable effort

Our will and resolve are far more in our control than what the scoreboard may say on any given day.

Going above and beyond with our mental and physical devotion to the task almost always puts us is in the best position to succeed long term.

It’s also in our control and can be cultivated with reps, structure and consistency.

2. Toughness

While the outside world frequently values marquee names and attractive skillsets, success at the highest levels of sports and business is rarely determined by talent or ability alone.

It often comes down to who can endure, who possesses the mental and physical grit to push on when others may want to capitulate to their circumstances or environment.

3. Resiliency

Our success as leaders isn’t about avoiding hardship or formulating the right plans to circumvent adversity.

Rather, it’s frequently about how much we can endure, whether we can get back up when we’ve faced a setback, and whether we can continue to push on when something doesn’t go our way.

Smart’s larger point is that in any competitive setting, outliers will occur, and the result will not always be what we had hoped.

But if we focus on what’s actually in our power — and commit to developing the right levels of intensity, discipline, grit and consistency — more often than not, we will come out on top.

“We try to focus on what exactly it is we want to achieve,” Smart said.

“If you do that, you’ll get good results.”

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