Recently, I had a lengthy conversation with the head coach of a major college basketball team. We were discussing this year’s NCAA tournament, better known as The Big Dance or March Madness. My friend, as a player, assistant coach, and now a head coach, has been to the tournament many times.
There are 65 teams that make it to the tournament. Some get there by winning their conference while others are invited due to their national ranking, difficulty of schedule, or strength of their program.
Although all of the teams are excited and filled with anticipation as they look forward to the NCAA tournament, the coach explained to me that many of the teams have quite different expectations. Some of the teams are just excited to be in the tournament. Receiving the invitation to be a part of the competition was, in itself, the culmination of a successful season. Other teams need to win one or two games and possibly reach the Sweet 16 or even the Final Four before their coaches and fans will consider it a good year.
And then there are a handful of teams that have different expectations. These teams expect to win the tournament and become the national champion. Anything less than this ultimate success will not be considered to be a good season for these teams.
You and I live in a world that is not fair. We don’t always get what we want, need, earn, or deserve, but we will inevitably get that which we expect.
If your life—personally or professionally—is not turning out the way you want it to, examine your expectations, and you will likely find that you are about where you thought you’d be.
Just because you haven’t been expecting ultimate success doesn’t mean you cannot succeed. You and I have the ability to constantly alter our expectations. My friend, the head coach, told me that the first time he got invited to the NCAA tournament, he and his players were just ecstatic to be there. They were playing a top-ranked team, and although they played hard, they didn’t really expect to win.
The next year they were invited back, and his players and assistant coaches were more hungry and more committed to win. They advanced into the next round of the tournament. The third time my friend took a team to the big tournament as the head coach, they really felt they could get to the Sweet 16.
Now that coach is building a team and a program so that he will be able to go back to the tournament someday knowing that his preparation, talent, and intensity should make it reasonable for his team to expect to win the national championship.
As you go through your day today, don’t just consider your goals, but always examine your expectations.
About Jim Stovall
Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082, or by e-mail at Jim@JimStovall.com.
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