fiGht

pRocess

finIsh

trusT

GRIT – courage, resolve, strength of character; passion coupled with motivation; overcoming obstacles/challenges that lie within the path to accomplishment. Individuals high in grit are able to maintain their determination despite failure and adversity. Provides the stamina required to "stay the course".

• -Grit is better than Perseverance, which is the steadfast pursuit of a task, mission, or journey in spite of obstacles, discouragement, or distraction. When compared with persistence, grit adds a component of passion for the goal.
• -Grit is better than Ambition, which is the desire for attainment, power, or superiority. In contrast to ambitious individuals, gritty individuals do not seek fame or external recognition for their achievements. Ambition is often associated with a desire for fame. Unlike ambitious individuals, gritty individuals do not seek to distinguish themselves from other people, but to obtain personal goals.
• -Grit is better than the need for achievement, which needs feedback. Gritty individuals consciously set long-term goals that are difficult to attain and do not waver from these difficult goals, regardless of the presence of feedback.

Society has stopped teaching Grit. Gone soft. Do not allow failure. Parents have stopped teaching Grit as they think they are good parents by going in and fixing their children's issues, therefore teaching the child that he or she can't handle it. Schools stopped teaching Grit as they lower the criteria for Honor Roll and teach to a lower standard so more students 'achieve accolades' to boost their self-image. Marriages stopped relying on Grit as now when we get into a fix in the marriage we remove ourselves from it by taking the easy way out, even though we said, "Until death do us part."; Our Nation has stopped teaching Grit as we use Government Bailouts (GM, Housing market).

We have stopped allowing suffering. Forgetting it is often how one learns to be a success. It is not politically correct to allow discomfort to ever develop. We've become soft and an outcome of that is many more people getting bitter than there are getting better. We are failing in developing mindsets to overcome the problems.

Angela Duckworth, 8th grade math teacher, found the number one predictor of success is having the characteristic of Grit – not grades, SAT scores or any other characteristic. Those children, regardless of IQ or socio-economic background, who had the ability to stay focused on a goal, regardless of setbacks and obstacles, who weren't even concerned with positive feedback but just the goal, were the ones who experienced victory. In fact, when children were praised for being smart, they eventually lost confidence and did not demonstrate Grit, as opposed to children who were recognized for the way they work focused toward a goal and persevere.

Develop Grit yourself in the areas of your life that matter—work, health, marriage and faith. always have goals. Having something in your life that you have to work toward is one of the things that make life worth living. When we notice people's efforts ("grit"), their willingness to persevere in their efforts to improve their performance; we increase the likelihood that they will do so. As leaders in those situations, we are influencing people to develop and demonstrate grit.

JFK speech to the graduating class of Rice University in 62, "We choose to go to the moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills." Let's live in the vision of 'going to the moon.'

So much of life is an automatic act that large chunks of life are done without intentional thought. But being great—taking your gifts and making a difference in this world—is a deliberate act that requires making a choice. GRIT is a choice. Quitters follow feelings, hit a wall, and stop because they feel like it. The people who keep going chose to.

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?" ― Rumi

A mirror needs polished to be clear and reflect the proper image, without rubbing the image gets distorted; fire is needed to purify gold, without it the precious metal is not so precious. Rubbing, fire, friction and similar irritants are all necessary to produce better results. Oyster making pearls from a gain of sand (grit) and irritation.

If you don't allow yourself to be irritated then you do not allow yourself to become better. If you don't expose yourself to the flames of failure then you do not allow yourself to become purified.

Jim Bearden's story - Vietnam War Veteran "get over it and get on with it". GRIT

Weight room sign speaks to GRIT

Fight - contend, battle, resolve, put forth a determined effort, struggle, endure, surmount, perseverance,

WORK ETHIC. Success is more dependent on how long and hard we try than on our talent. Perseverance demonstrates work ethic. It shows that we will do everything necessary to reach our goals. We work hard understanding there is no substitute for hard work. We will never stop pushing ourselves to be in better condition, to improve our skills

Perseverance - "the ability to not quit, and to keep on going with a greater drive than you think you have."

Winners are people who consistently invest effort, persevere, and keep getting better at whatever it is they do — regardless of whether they win anything. Perseveres when challenged versus Quits when challenged

"Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority. - Vince Lombardi

Do what you can where you are with what you have; Resolve to learn what you need to know to live the kind of life you want to live.

Lesson of the caterpillar and butterfly; Movie 127 hours;

"It is not about what you are capable of; it is about what you are willing to do." - Mike Tomlin, Head Coach Pittsburgh Steelers. Capability is a gift; willingness is a choice.

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. - Calvin Coolidge

Failed in business 22; Ran for Legislature--defeated 23; Again failed in business 24; Elected to Legislature 25; sweetheart died 26; Had a nervous breakdown 27; Defeated for Speaker 29; Defeated for Elector 31; Defeated for Congress 34; Elected to Congress 37; Defeated for Congress 39; Defeated for Senate 46; Defeated for Vice President 47; Defeated for Senate 49; Elected President of the United States 51 - That's the record of Abraham Lincoln.

We will long remember the story of United Airlines Flight 93 and of Jeremy Glick, the judo champion, Tom Burnett, the former high school quarterback, Todd Beamer, once a college baseball player and Mark Bingham, a rugby player. These athletes banded together to fight against all odds. Sports had taught them the value of teamwork, the importance of leadership, the courage of decisive action, and the defiant spirit of determination in responding to a challenge.

On that flight in Pennsylvania, terrorists willing to die for their own glory met Americans willing to die to save others. The supreme lesson of sport is that it becomes second nature to the athlete to act, not for the glory of one, but for the good of the whole.

PROCESS

"You are the way you are because that's the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be any different, you would be in the process of changing right now." - Fred Smith

"People look at an event like the Olympics and think that the Gold Medal is the ultimate goal, but it's not. The process of getting there is far more important." - Scott Hamilton

"Competition" word origin means "mutual quest for excellence" – a value driven process that leads to respect for others, personal and team integrity, justice and fairness.

Live in Your Vision, Not Your Circumstance; Trust the Process

Too many times we 'live in circumstances,' instead of 'living in a vision.' Circumstances are temporary. A vision can last an eternity. It's our thinking, not our circumstances, that determines how we feel. We are in charge of our thinking; we are the ones doing the thinking – then why should circumstances be dictating our experience of life? Controlling our reactions takes mental conditioning, which is similar to physical conditioning – you need to cultivate it and it grows with practice. A process.

The second part of this principle after "Live in your vision not in your circumstance"; it is "trust the process." Where there's a vision, sometimes referred to as a 'Why'; there needs to be a process of the 'How'. A "Vision" implies you have a view of where you want to get to but it doesn't necessarily mean you know exactly the path which will get you there. There could be lots of roads. When we have a vision and believe in it, we see the discovery and growth amidst the daily grind and maybe even chaos. Once we know our why, there will be a how. We've got to trust the process in the day to day. Practice is this team's "How"

There is the "Law of the Harvest" principle that applies to life. You need to plant in the spring, tend the weeds, water or irrigate, control birds and pests if you expect to have a harvest in the fall. You can't dismiss the natural processes and cram it all in at the end. However we as a society are inclined to take short cuts, cheat the system. It is our 'want it now', immediate gratification mindset.

Being disciplined in your approach to each day of your life and accomplishing the things you dream of starts by disciplining your thoughts. If you live out of your vision then you tend to focus on those things that you want to occur, whereas living out of your circumstance focuses on what has not occurred or will not occur. You will never be able to rise above the imaginary ceiling you construct in your mind.

For synergy to exist we must focus on the outcome and trust the process like a chef/baker or symphony conductor. If the focus is on the circumstances or components in the process, the vision gets lost

Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, "Life is not about serenely walking down the middle of spick-and-span streets. It's about veering to and fro, bouncing off the guardrails, and then overcorrecting. But you can't correct a course until you've taken to the road!"

Navy Seal adage - "Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion; you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train for excellence."

In situations of high stress, fear or distrust, the hormone and neurotransmitter cortisol floods the brain. Executive functions that help us with advanced thought processes like strategy, trust building, and compassion shut down. And the amygdala, our instinctive brain, takes over.

Toothpaste analogy

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, and a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."- Muhammad Ali

Your legacy is a process

A process is only as good as the people executing it.

College – 4 year process to turn late teens into adults

FINISH

Hardest part is getting started? Mark Twain "Secret of getting ahead is getting started" Don't think so. If true, why do people give up on their diet, stop writing a novel or quit a difficult task at work. Maybe it's the finish that's difficult. Many of us expect smooth sailing, there are always bumps in the road. Embrace these bumps, don't run from them. If it were easy, everyone would do it. The goal should always be to finish what you started.

Barriers to finishing the change - Unforeseen circumstances; Attention Deficit Disorder; Other priorities; Boredom; Frustration; Distraction.

Your role in finishing - Persistence; Clarity; Recognition; Communication; Renewing; vigor; Celebrate!

At the University of Georgia, Coach Mark Richt introduced a concept known as "Finish the Drill." It is a motto for practices, workouts, and games. Good teams become championship teams based on their ability to finish strong. Remember a notable play in the 2005 divisional championship game (Pats/Broncos – Ben Watson/Champ Bailey); 101 yard interception return but 1 short of a TD. Ben Watson "Finish the Drill." Immaculate Receptions was Franco Harris "finishing the play"

Finishing builds:

Perseverance. Adversity is a reality. Finishing strong trains pushing forward under adversity. We rise to meet the challenge. Creates muscle memory to "keep going." Dogging it breeds quitting; finishing breeds toughness and perseverance.

Character –failure occurs when people lose focus and gradually drift off the path. The ability to finish enables us to avoid temptation. Many people shoot out of the gate, when faced with distractions look for the easy way out. Maintain focus, light the path, keeps steady feet. "Where your start is not as important as where you finish."- Zig Ziglar

Commitment to Excellence. A consistent effort to completion is the foundation of excellence. Creates a reputation of being dependable, faithful, and worthy of trust and admiration. These are the traits that an employer looks for in an employee, a wife in her husband, and children in their father. Whatever you decide to do, set your mind to it and finish the drill.

It takes heart/grit to finish what you start and even more heart/grit to finish what you start at top speed. "Grit test" – crossing the line (finish) at full speed. A difference between winning and losing in any field, sports, business. Nothing is simpler than sprinting on a straight line. Nothing is more important than crossing the finish line at full speed. Finish what you start is tough enough, finish what you start at top speed every time is even tougher, takes extraordinary self-discipline. Ordinary won't cut it. Extraordinary self-discipline doesn't just happen randomly, by accident. Free will/ personal choice. It takes exercising free will the right way, every play. And that's not easy. Those who can, win. Those who can't, won't. Slow down - you get nailed or passed by. He who goes full out longest, wins every time. Guaranteed.

Boston Marathon bombing. 3,000 runners and supporters finish what they started. They ran the final mile of the race one month later. Used the slogan, "we'll get our finish."

December 2, 2012 Spanish athlete Iván Fernández Anaya was competing in a cross-country race in Spain. He was running second, some distance behind race leader Abel Mutai, a Kenyan, Olympic bronze medalist. As they entered the finishing straight, he saw the Kenyan runner - the certain winner of the race - mistakenly pull up about 10 meters before the finish, thinking he had already crossed the line. Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai's mistake to speed past and claim an unlikely victory, he stayed behind and, using gestures, guided the Kenyan to the line and let him cross first. How you finish is as important as when you finish. – finish well, finish strong.

Faith, Trust and Hope: What's the Difference? Think about lending someone $100 dollars that they would return in 3 days. Do you hope they return it; have faith they return it or trust they return it?

Hope is not really sure of the outcome. It could go either way, good or bad. Faith has no negative sides to it. Faith always believes in the eventual, ultimate outcome of the thing for which we believed. Faith is deeply rooted in trust. Trust comes by way of a relationship. Without trust, faith is often a thinly disguised hope.

Faith is confidence; Trust is commitment, firm belief in the reliability, the state of being responsible (Trust Fund, Trustee - legal)

Faith is something we HAVE; Trust is something we DO. Faith says "I believe"; Trust is executing faith.

It is far easier to have faith. It is a lot harder to exercise trust. "I'd trust you with my life"

Trust must be built through intentional personal connections/conversations.

Men of integrity value what is honest, true, noble, trustworthy

Hope is not a strategy for anything in life. (hope I get the job, hope she likes me, hope this works out well

In the late 1800's there was a great tightrope walker. One of his greatest stunts, involved walking a tightrope high above the world famous Niagara Falls. Upon completing one attempt, he asked the crowd if they believed he could do it again. The crowd agreed. Looking to go one better, he asked if they believed he could cross while pushing a wheelbarrow. The crowd had no doubt he could pull this off. Right as he started he asked: "Which of you will ride in the wheelbarrow?" No one responded. They had faith he could perform the more difficult stunt. Yet, when it came time to act on those beliefs, they did not trust him.

Football is a fast-moving sport. A lot happens in seconds with little time to think. Everything that a player has learned in practice needs to come out naturally and automatically. Athletes improve their performances tremendously by learning and playing with trust. Trust is letting go of the mental need to control. When you have trust in your ability to perform the task in competition, you play in a 'flow state' where your full talent shows up. To develop trust, you must first eliminate the main block to it: fear – failure, mistakes, opinion of others, results, injury, etc.

"In leadership, there are no words more important than trust. In any organization, trust must be developed among every member of the team if success is going to be achieved." ~ Mike Krzyzewski,

The SPEED of TRUST: The One Thing That Changes Everything 2008 by Stephen Covey

Integrity is a foundation for a high-trust environment. Integrity comes first. No exceptions. Above winning. Above friendship. Above everything. Without integrity, credibility is lost and trust cannot be built and maintained.

Three qualities beyond honesty that define integrity in a person. Congruence, Humility and Courage.

Congruence is defined as "no gap between intent and behavior", a match between values and actions. The opinions of the student-athletes; the convenience of taking one path over another; the pressures exerted by parents, administrators, the media and others do not drive your action. Your values and your integrity bring you to a decision. It's not always an easy decision and it's not guaranteed to be a correct decision, but it will always be the right decision as it was made using the information available at the time based on your core values. The players on a team should be able to predict the decisions and direction of their leaders if the leaders are congruent.

Humility is a characteristic often ignored, Great leaders are self-effacing, quiet, reserved. Personal humility while also having a high level of professional drive recognizing principle and putting it ahead of self. Leaders demonstrating this quality "do not get caught up in arrogance, bravado, manipulation or win-lose power plays." Humility allows the leader to lose concern for being right and focus on what is right for the team. A humble leader recognizes new ideas and methodologies allowing them to let go - rather than defend - outdated systems. Understand their reliance on those around them to be successful. a part of a whole. Ego cannot be allowed to compromise principles or the commitment to the greater good of the team.

Courage is the third additional quality that makes up integrity. Doing the right thing is not always easy. Courage gives strength to do the right thing even when it is difficult. Coach Strong Texas, dismissed nine players from the program including two starters because they violated trust.

Your credibility and the credibility of the coaches and team rises and falls with your integrity and trust.fiGht

pRocess

finIsh

trusT

GRIT – courage, resolve, strength of character; passion coupled with motivation; overcoming obstacles/challenges that lie within the path to accomplishment. Individuals high in grit are able to maintain their determination despite failure and adversity. Provides the stamina required to "stay the course".

• -Grit is better than Perseverance, which is the steadfast pursuit of a task, mission, or journey in spite of obstacles, discouragement, or distraction. When compared with persistence, grit adds a component of passion for the goal.
• -Grit is better than Ambition, which is the desire for attainment, power, or superiority. In contrast to ambitious individuals, gritty individuals do not seek fame or external recognition for their achievements. Ambition is often associated with a desire for fame. Unlike ambitious individuals, gritty individuals do not seek to distinguish themselves from other people, but to obtain personal goals.
• -Grit is better than the need for achievement, which needs feedback. Gritty individuals consciously set long-term goals that are difficult to attain and do not waver from these difficult goals, regardless of the presence of feedback.

Society has stopped teaching Grit. Gone soft. Do not allow failure. Parents have stopped teaching Grit as they think they are good parents by going in and fixing their children's issues, therefore teaching the child that he or she can't handle it. Schools stopped teaching Grit as they lower the criteria for Honor Roll and teach to a lower standard so more students 'achieve accolades' to boost their self-image. Marriages stopped relying on Grit as now when we get into a fix in the marriage we remove ourselves from it by taking the easy way out, even though we said, "Until death do us part."; Our Nation has stopped teaching Grit as we use Government Bailouts (GM, Housing market).

We have stopped allowing suffering. Forgetting it is often how one learns to be a success. It is not politically correct to allow discomfort to ever develop. We've become soft and an outcome of that is many more people getting bitter than there are getting better. We are failing in developing mindsets to overcome the problems.

Angela Duckworth, 8th grade math teacher, found the number one predictor of success is having the characteristic of Grit – not grades, SAT scores or any other characteristic. Those children, regardless of IQ or socio-economic background, who had the ability to stay focused on a goal, regardless of setbacks and obstacles, who weren't even concerned with positive feedback but just the goal, were the ones who experienced victory. In fact, when children were praised for being smart, they eventually lost confidence and did not demonstrate Grit, as opposed to children who were recognized for the way they work focused toward a goal and persevere.

Develop Grit yourself in the areas of your life that matter—work, health, marriage and faith. always have goals. Having something in your life that you have to work toward is one of the things that make life worth living. When we notice people's efforts ("grit"), their willingness to persevere in their efforts to improve their performance; we increase the likelihood that they will do so. As leaders in those situations, we are influencing people to develop and demonstrate grit.

JFK speech to the graduating class of Rice University in 62, "We choose to go to the moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills." Let's live in the vision of 'going to the moon.'

So much of life is an automatic act that large chunks of life are done without intentional thought. But being great—taking your gifts and making a difference in this world—is a deliberate act that requires making a choice. GRIT is a choice. Quitters follow feelings, hit a wall, and stop because they feel like it. The people who keep going chose to.

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?" ― Rumi

A mirror needs polished to be clear and reflect the proper image, without rubbing the image gets distorted; fire is needed to purify gold, without it the precious metal is not so precious. Rubbing, fire, friction and similar irritants are all necessary to produce better results. Oyster making pearls from a gain of sand (grit) and irritation.

If you don't allow yourself to be irritated then you do not allow yourself to become better. If you don't expose yourself to the flames of failure then you do not allow yourself to become purified.

Jim Bearden's story - Vietnam War Veteran "get over it and get on with it". GRIT

Weight room sign speaks to GRIT

Fight - contend, battle, resolve, put forth a determined effort, struggle, endure, surmount, perseverance,

WORK ETHIC. Success is more dependent on how long and hard we try than on our talent. Perseverance demonstrates work ethic. It shows that we will do everything necessary to reach our goals. We work hard understanding there is no substitute for hard work. We will never stop pushing ourselves to be in better condition, to improve our skills

Perseverance - "the ability to not quit, and to keep on going with a greater drive than you think you have."

Winners are people who consistently invest effort, persevere, and keep getting better at whatever it is they do — regardless of whether they win anything. Perseveres when challenged versus Quits when challenged

"Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority. - Vince Lombardi

Do what you can where you are with what you have; Resolve to learn what you need to know to live the kind of life you want to live.

Lesson of the caterpillar and butterfly; Movie 127 hours;

"It is not about what you are capable of; it is about what you are willing to do." - Mike Tomlin, Head Coach Pittsburgh Steelers. Capability is a gift; willingness is a choice.

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. - Calvin Coolidge

Failed in business 22; Ran for Legislature--defeated 23; Again failed in business 24; Elected to Legislature 25; sweetheart died 26; Had a nervous breakdown 27; Defeated for Speaker 29; Defeated for Elector 31; Defeated for Congress 34; Elected to Congress 37; Defeated for Congress 39; Defeated for Senate 46; Defeated for Vice President 47; Defeated for Senate 49; Elected President of the United States 51 - That's the record of Abraham Lincoln.

We will long remember the story of United Airlines Flight 93 and of Jeremy Glick, the judo champion, Tom Burnett, the former high school quarterback, Todd Beamer, once a college baseball player and Mark Bingham, a rugby player. These athletes banded together to fight against all odds. Sports had taught them the value of teamwork, the importance of leadership, the courage of decisive action, and the defiant spirit of determination in responding to a challenge.

On that flight in Pennsylvania, terrorists willing to die for their own glory met Americans willing to die to save others. The supreme lesson of sport is that it becomes second nature to the athlete to act, not for the glory of one, but for the good of the whole.

PROCESS

"You are the way you are because that's the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be any different, you would be in the process of changing right now." - Fred Smith

"People look at an event like the Olympics and think that the Gold Medal is the ultimate goal, but it's not. The process of getting there is far more important." - Scott Hamilton

"Competition" word origin means "mutual quest for excellence" – a value driven process that leads to respect for others, personal and team integrity, justice and fairness.

Live in Your Vision, Not Your Circumstance; Trust the Process

Too many times we 'live in circumstances,' instead of 'living in a vision.' Circumstances are temporary. A vision can last an eternity. It's our thinking, not our circumstances, that determines how we feel. We are in charge of our thinking; we are the ones doing the thinking – then why should circumstances be dictating our experience of life? Controlling our reactions takes mental conditioning, which is similar to physical conditioning – you need to cultivate it and it grows with practice. A process.

The second part of this principle after "Live in your vision not in your circumstance"; it is "trust the process." Where there's a vision, sometimes referred to as a 'Why'; there needs to be a process of the 'How'. A "Vision" implies you have a view of where you want to get to but it doesn't necessarily mean you know exactly the path which will get you there. There could be lots of roads. When we have a vision and believe in it, we see the discovery and growth amidst the daily grind and maybe even chaos. Once we know our why, there will be a how. We've got to trust the process in the day to day. Practice is this team's "How"

There is the "Law of the Harvest" principle that applies to life. You need to plant in the spring, tend the weeds, water or irrigate, control birds and pests if you expect to have a harvest in the fall. You can't dismiss the natural processes and cram it all in at the end. However we as a society are inclined to take short cuts, cheat the system. It is our 'want it now', immediate gratification mindset.

Being disciplined in your approach to each day of your life and accomplishing the things you dream of starts by disciplining your thoughts. If you live out of your vision then you tend to focus on those things that you want to occur, whereas living out of your circumstance focuses on what has not occurred or will not occur. You will never be able to rise above the imaginary ceiling you construct in your mind.

For synergy to exist we must focus on the outcome and trust the process like a chef/baker or symphony conductor. If the focus is on the circumstances or components in the process, the vision gets lost

Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, "Life is not about serenely walking down the middle of spick-and-span streets. It's about veering to and fro, bouncing off the guardrails, and then overcorrecting. But you can't correct a course until you've taken to the road!"

Navy Seal adage - "Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion; you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train for excellence."

In situations of high stress, fear or distrust, the hormone and neurotransmitter cortisol floods the brain. Executive functions that help us with advanced thought processes like strategy, trust building, and compassion shut down. And the amygdala, our instinctive brain, takes over.

Toothpaste analogy

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, and a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."- Muhammad Ali

Your legacy is a process

A process is only as good as the people executing it.

College – 4 year process to turn late teens into adults

FINISH

Hardest part is getting started? Mark Twain "Secret of getting ahead is getting started" Don't think so. If true, why do people give up on their diet, stop writing a novel or quit a difficult task at work. Maybe it's the finish that's difficult. Many of us expect smooth sailing, there are always bumps in the road. Embrace these bumps, don't run from them. If it were easy, everyone would do it. The goal should always be to finish what you started.

Barriers to finishing the change - Unforeseen circumstances; Attention Deficit Disorder; Other priorities; Boredom; Frustration; Distraction.

Your role in finishing - Persistence; Clarity; Recognition; Communication; Renewing; vigor; Celebrate!

At the University of Georgia, Coach Mark Richt introduced a concept known as "Finish the Drill." It is a motto for practices, workouts, and games. Good teams become championship teams based on their ability to finish strong. Remember a notable play in the 2005 divisional championship game (Pats/Broncos – Ben Watson/Champ Bailey); 101 yard interception return but 1 short of a TD. Ben Watson "Finish the Drill." Immaculate Receptions was Franco Harris "finishing the play"

Finishing builds:

Perseverance. Adversity is a reality. Finishing strong trains pushing forward under adversity. We rise to meet the challenge. Creates muscle memory to "keep going." Dogging it breeds quitting; finishing breeds toughness and perseverance.

Character –failure occurs when people lose focus and gradually drift off the path. The ability to finish enables us to avoid temptation. Many people shoot out of the gate, when faced with distractions look for the easy way out. Maintain focus, light the path, keeps steady feet. "Where your start is not as important as where you finish."- Zig Ziglar

Commitment to Excellence. A consistent effort to completion is the foundation of excellence. Creates a reputation of being dependable, faithful, and worthy of trust and admiration. These are the traits that an employer looks for in an employee, a wife in her husband, and children in their father. Whatever you decide to do, set your mind to it and finish the drill.

It takes heart/grit to finish what you start and even more heart/grit to finish what you start at top speed. "Grit test" – crossing the line (finish) at full speed. A difference between winning and losing in any field, sports, business. Nothing is simpler than sprinting on a straight line. Nothing is more important than crossing the finish line at full speed. Finish what you start is tough enough, finish what you start at top speed every time is even tougher, takes extraordinary self-discipline. Ordinary won't cut it. Extraordinary self-discipline doesn't just happen randomly, by accident. Free will/ personal choice. It takes exercising free will the right way, every play. And that's not easy. Those who can, win. Those who can't, won't. Slow down - you get nailed or passed by. He who goes full out longest, wins every time. Guaranteed.

Boston Marathon bombing. 3,000 runners and supporters finish what they started. They ran the final mile of the race one month later. Used the slogan, "we'll get our finish."

December 2, 2012 Spanish athlete Iván Fernández Anaya was competing in a cross-country race in Spain. He was running second, some distance behind race leader Abel Mutai, a Kenyan, Olympic bronze medalist. As they entered the finishing straight, he saw the Kenyan runner - the certain winner of the race - mistakenly pull up about 10 meters before the finish, thinking he had already crossed the line. Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai's mistake to speed past and claim an unlikely victory, he stayed behind and, using gestures, guided the Kenyan to the line and let him cross first. How you finish is as important as when you finish. – finish well, finish strong.

Faith, Trust and Hope: What's the Difference? Think about lending someone $100 dollars that they would return in 3 days. Do you hope they return it; have faith they return it or trust they return it?

Hope is not really sure of the outcome. It could go either way, good or bad. Faith has no negative sides to it. Faith always believes in the eventual, ultimate outcome of the thing for which we believed. Faith is deeply rooted in trust. Trust comes by way of a relationship. Without trust, faith is often a thinly disguised hope.

Faith is confidence; Trust is commitment, firm belief in the reliability, the state of being responsible (Trust Fund, Trustee - legal)

Faith is something we HAVE; Trust is something we DO. Faith says "I believe"; Trust is executing faith.

It is far easier to have faith. It is a lot harder to exercise trust. "I'd trust you with my life"

Trust must be built through intentional personal connections/conversations.

Men of integrity value what is honest, true, noble, trustworthy

Hope is not a strategy for anything in life. (hope I get the job, hope she likes me, hope this works out well

In the late 1800's there was a great tightrope walker. One of his greatest stunts, involved walking a tightrope high above the world famous Niagara Falls. Upon completing one attempt, he asked the crowd if they believed he could do it again. The crowd agreed. Looking to go one better, he asked if they believed he could cross while pushing a wheelbarrow. The crowd had no doubt he could pull this off. Right as he started he asked: "Which of you will ride in the wheelbarrow?" No one responded. They had faith he could perform the more difficult stunt. Yet, when it came time to act on those beliefs, they did not trust him.

Football is a fast-moving sport. A lot happens in seconds with little time to think. Everything that a player has learned in practice needs to come out naturally and automatically. Athletes improve their performances tremendously by learning and playing with trust. Trust is letting go of the mental need to control. When you have trust in your ability to perform the task in competition, you play in a 'flow state' where your full talent shows up. To develop trust, you must first eliminate the main block to it: fear – failure, mistakes, opinion of others, results, injury, etc.

"In leadership, there are no words more important than trust. In any organization, trust must be developed among every member of the team if success is going to be achieved." ~ Mike Krzyzewski,

The SPEED of TRUST: The One Thing That Changes Everything 2008 by Stephen Covey

Integrity is a foundation for a high-trust environment. Integrity comes first. No exceptions. Above winning. Above friendship. Above everything. Without integrity, credibility is lost and trust cannot be built and maintained.

Three qualities beyond honesty that define integrity in a person. Congruence, Humility and Courage.

Congruence is defined as "no gap between intent and behavior", a match between values and actions. The opinions of the student-athletes; the convenience of taking one path over another; the pressures exerted by parents, administrators, the media and others do not drive your action. Your values and your integrity bring you to a decision. It's not always an easy decision and it's not guaranteed to be a correct decision, but it will always be the right decision as it was made using the information available at the time based on your core values. The players on a team should be able to predict the decisions and direction of their leaders if the leaders are congruent.

Humility is a characteristic often ignored, Great leaders are self-effacing, quiet, reserved. Personal humility while also having a high level of professional drive recognizing principle and putting it ahead of self. Leaders demonstrating this quality "do not get caught up in arrogance, bravado, manipulation or win-lose power plays." Humility allows the leader to lose concern for being right and focus on what is right for the team. A humble leader recognizes new ideas and methodologies allowing them to let go - rather than defend - outdated systems. Understand their reliance on those around them to be successful. a part of a whole. Ego cannot be allowed to compromise principles or the commitment to the greater good of the team.

Courage is the third additional quality that makes up integrity. Doing the right thing is not always easy. Courage gives strength to do the right thing even when it is difficult. Coach Strong Texas, dismissed nine players from the program including two starters because they violated trust.

Your credibility and the credibility of the coaches and team rises and falls with your integrity and trust.