ADJUSTING TO DISRUPTION

Disruption happens.

Every day, every game, every meeting, every opportunity — things rarely ever go as planned. Disruption seems to be a consistent part of the moment-by-moment fabric of our lives.

You might not be able to control how things play out, but you can control how you respond. We always say that “attitude is everything!” And it’s never more real and true than when you’re faced with having to adjust to disruption.

Attitude matters first and foremost because having a positive and optimistic outlook can buoy you when the storms of life create waves in your world. When you’re committed to having a really solid and positive perspective, you start to rise with the waves instead of getting crushed by them. 

For us, attitude and self-talk go hand-in-hand. We use the phrase “something good is just about to happen” to encourage positive self-talk. When you start to believe that “something good is just about to happen,” your perspective shifts and you reframe your vision to start looking for the good things. And then, as if on cue, good things actually do start happening all around you! It’s because when your mind is primed to notice good things before you know it, an avalanche of positives is occurring everywhere you look.

As you look intently for how things can go right, they often do.

In coaching our players, we focus on telling them what they’re doing right or how to do something right — instead of bashing what they’re doing wrong. Putting the attention on the positive draws out more of your desired outcome. What you focus on you draw to yourself, so putting the attention on the negative would only surface more negatives in your path.

So as you take hold of a more positive outlook, then you can focus on where you’re directing your next steps. With an optimistic perspective, your next steps are drenched in hope instead of dread, and good things start appearing before you.

When disruption happens in a football game or at work or in life, we’ve got to seize our outlook and turn it to the positive. The shift in mindset primes your brain to look for positives, and this perspective helps you adapt to whatever challenges you’re facing — whether it’s in the third quarter of a football game, over a Zoom call, or with your family. 

Take hold of the belief that “something good is just about to happen,” and you’ll notice that disruption can actually become a good thing!

Pete Carroll