I don't even have to ask if your resilience has been tested in the past year. Nearly everyone has been forced to find the strength to keep going. The bad news is it's likely to be tested again.
The good news is there is a simple mental framework to help you find clarity and regain your footing when life takes unexpected turns.
I have coached in college and the NBA. Both can be a roller coaster in their own right, but no experience included more upside down twists and turns than my time coaching in the NBA G-League. Things didn't change by the week or the day. They changed by the hour.
We conducted a pregame film session with one roster and took the court with a different roster. We lost our starting point guard hours before tipoff and then were told minutes before tipoff we weren't allowed to play our backup point guard. Our best player was pulled out of line as we were boarding our flight for a road trip and another at baggage claim when we landed.
It was a lot to navigate as a coach and it was just as much of a roller coaster for the players. They endure development officials, call-ups and assignments impacting their playing time, and empty gyms that cast doubt on their decision to take this path.
We had no choice though. The circumstances were out of our control and we had to find a way to keep moving forward. So, we leaned on a familiar acronym to give us clarity and direction: N.B.A.
Officially, it stands for National Basketball Association. For minor league prospects hoping to sign a big league contract it stood for Never Broke Again (which prompted a lesson about financial planning). The way I use it, though, challenges you to think about the process and daily decisions needed to reach your goals.
For me, the acronym stands for Next Best Action.
The approach consists of three parts:
1. NEXT
Make the next right play.
Mental toughness is your ability to separate who you are from the results. Circumstances my knock you back or even knock you down, but you are not defined by the outcomes. Everything you experience is feedback for where to turn next.
Stubborn people force their will onto the situation regardless of the feedback because they need to prove they are right.
Resilient people cooperate with what's unfolding, pay attention to the feedback, and adjust accordingly.
You can prove your toughness by never giving up, or you can outlast the competition by quitting what isn't working and finding a new way forward.
2. BEST
Bring your best self to every moment.
The greatest gift you have to offer the world is your best self.
Your biggest fight every day is not trying to win the next game, signing the next recruit, or motivating your team. Your biggest fight every day is to show up with your best self.
Consider your daily routines (i.e. morning routines or pregame routines). Are they designed around tasks to accomplish - a checklist of items before you leave the house? Are they designed around controlling variables - a superstitious snack or specific number of shots you need to make before you can start?
Instead, design your routines as an activation process. What stimulates your best mindset? What prepares you to bring your best self regardless of the circumstances?
3. ACTION
Act assertively.
When we make a mistake or lose publicly, we can become hesitant to take the next step. We don't want to mess up again and compound mistakes. We want to make sure we have it right to be assured we won't lose again. Unfortunately, results are never guaranteed.
If every result is feedback, pay attention to the direction it is nudging you. With your best self and a clear mind activated, take that next step assertively. Be decisive. A hesitant step won't give you the feedback you need to find the right direction.
With an N.B.A. mindset you stay resilient to keep going, humble to keep learning, and confident to keep showing up with the next iteration.