Insights from the beautiful game

Where are you? Locating yourself on your life's league table, life lessons from the Beautiful Game

Sat, 24 Jul 2021 12:50:20 GMT

Some aspire for the heights, others are falling just short of where they want to be, many are comfortable where they are, others are seeking safety, while others are fighting for survival. Where are you on your life's league table, where do you want to be and how might you get there? Here are my insights and ideas from the beautiful game, for the beautiful game of your life.

Some observations

Position 1, top spot - the position we are encouraged to strive for as it indicates that whoever occupies this position is the winner, the best, the number 1, the top person in their niche. The top spot is the position with the highest profile and that receives the biggest rewards, the plaudits, and the accolades. The person, team, organisation and product most want to be associated with. The most attractive and appealing position if you want to be considered a success. In the league table of your life, position #1 relates to being the best version of yourself. Where your competition is the person you see in the mirror.

Positions 2- 5 speaks of being just outside the top spot - on the podium for coming second or third; near, but short of the gold medal. For some being among the proverbial top five/in the top 10, 100, or 500, is a measure of how good they are and how well they are doing. For some this is achievement and success all by itself; they are in the top group. Not the best in the class, but in the class nonetheless. For others being in the class, especially when they are not many competitors, is not good enough, they have to be #1 to be a success in their eyes.

Positions 6 – 13 can be described as safe, comfortable, and average places. They are considered average and commonplace because this is where most people are. These mid-table positions are comfortable because they are safe, and far removed from rock bottom. Even though these positions are also far removed from the top spot or one of the top spots, this is considered acceptable because the person, team or organisation that occupies these positions are not among the least of these, they are better than that. These positions can be difficult to level up from because they are safe and comfortable and require no extra effort, investment or stretch to break into the next level. The worry though, is that it just takes a run of bad results to slide into the unsafe zone.

Positions 14 – 17 , is a reference to feeling unsafe, under threat and at risk of slipping to the bottom of the pile. While you are safe for now, it’s too close to the bottom. In these low profile positions you are in a vulnerable place, a place that will fill your mind with worry and concern as you are one result, one event away from slipping into the worst scenario. A place where survival is not completely in your hands. Where you hope that things outside your control go your way. You will have to battle hard to avoid slipping into the drop zone.

Positions 18-20, this refers to teams with the lowest profile whose results over a season have brought them to the bottom of the pile. They are propping up the table because they have not done enough to be in a better place. Teams in these positions are are unlikely to survive and are at risk of demotion and relegation, of being downgraded, lessened, reduced, cut! Importantly, and I say more on this later, it is possible to avoid the drop but also to come back from a fall, after demotion and hitting rock bottom.

The serial top teams – refers to people, teams and organisations who have enough about them to consistently compete for the big prizes. They have amassed over many years a range of resources, experiences, mindset, infrastructure, and depth to be up there; to be among the top positions for years to come. Not only do they have reputation and history, their current resources are abundant and their build strategy for the future is robust.

Those who often miss out on the top spots - refers to people, teams and organisations who frequently miss out on being among the high achievers and the most successful. While they have much going for them, which means that they are rarely at risk of relegation and hitting rock bottom, they have been unable to break into the top group. There are many reasons why this might be, including their needing to level up their game, mindset, resources and strategy or because the hold the top teams have on the top spots, because of their resource abundance, means that they will need to attract similar resources if they are to compete. Importantly, in the league table of your life, the issue of there being only so many places at the top doesn’t apply, especially if your goal is personal-improvement. With personal-development the persons you wish to be better than are the previous versions of yourself. The person you see in the mirror. That’s your measure, hence my focus on your life’s league table - your subjective measure of success, what success means to you!

The serial mid table teams - a reference to people who have been in the same safe and comfortable positions for much of their history. For some, who have progressed up the table, being mid-table is better than where they were. For some in this position, there is little incentive to climb any higher - they are safe and that's what matters most! If they are not struggling and fighting for survival, they are doing well enough. For some, being any higher or further on is an unrealistic / undesirable aspiration. It's a step too far. The concern however for the mid-table team and mindset, is that it just takes a run of bad results against the run of play or the loss of some significant contributor to your success so far, to slide back into the unsafe zone. My encouragement to you is to keep climbing in knowledge, mindset and skills.

The serially struggling teams – is a reference to people, teams and organisations that have only known struggle throughout their life and history. For some, historical disadvantage has left them with too few resources and a mountain to climb. For others they know nothing of the kind of opportunities and resources that others have access to. They have never been anywhere near the top of the league. They are the ones that top teams like to come up against. What serially struggling teams need in the Game of life is to be invested in, not given up on!

Yo-yo teams – this is a reference to people, teams and organisations that are frequently up and down. While they have enough about them to come back from demotion and being cut, they don’t yet have enough about them to prevent this from happening again the following year. For some they experience what is referred to as second season syndrome, they start well and look promising but fall away the following year after a positive first year start.

Newcomers to the league – is a reference to people, teams, and organisations that have grown out of, and come up from a lower league, having done enough to be promoted, and are now on a bigger stage. For some the next level up is both daunting and exciting, it's what they have hoped and worked for for years. What they lack in experience, they make up in energy and enthusiasm. For debutants, survival in this new arena is their primary goal. While some may expect them not to do well in this new arena, at this level, they are here on merit and therefore have something to contribute. They possess the assets of the underdog that could serve them well.

The whipping boys of the league - sadly, this is a reference to people, teams, and organisations that frequently take a pasting in the Game of life because they are poorly resourced, lack skill, tactical and technical knowledge, investment, and infrastructure. They lose big and often and tend to be in the drop zone throughout much of the season.

Fallen out of the league – a reference to people, teams and organisations who were unable to avoid the drop, who hit rock bottom, and who are now among those who occupy the lower league positions. People who want to get back to where they once were, at the earliest opportunity. For some the demotion hit them hard and 5 years on they are still languishing in the lower leagues. Perhaps sliding further down, unable to recover their best form. For others they were able to bounce back the following season. There's no shame here, though this will be felt intensely at first, there's hope. Many of the top teams of the beautiful game, have a story of relegation in their history. The need of the hour for those who have fallen away and dropped of the charts, is to learn from the drop, to invest in their development and to play their way back into the promotion places.

Top team finishes season badly – whilst it is true that there are teams in the beautiful game that are serial achievers, from time to team one of the top teams will have an off season, a bad run of form that ends with them being way below where they would normally be in the rankings. Perhaps not as far down as being in the relegation places, but nonetheless the kind of decline that has put them in a struggling and precarious place. Most will have enough about them to recover from the dip and be back where they were and often are. Nevertheless, it is a humbling object lesson for how hath the mighty fallen?

Lower position team surprises everyone - the opposite to a usually great team being in rapid decline, is when a team in the lower rankings finds a good vein of form and overachieves in ways that surprises everyone. Not only have they had a win they are having successive wins which is elevating their stock and attracting attention. They have unleashed the assets of the underdog and are clearly better for it.

Some league position goals

To be the top team – some people, teams, organisations are supremely motivated to be number 1 in their niche. To be the standard-bearer, the one everyone literally looks up to. Being the best has many trappings attached, including attracting attention, interest, accolades, respect, honour, fame, favour, and prestige. Where such a position is honourably obtained then respect is deserved. The challenge and the motivation is the pressure to remain on top, as your closest rivals will be raising their game in order to compete with you.

To avoid the drop – a reference to a person, team or organisation that was in a precarious position, staving off being dropped, demoted, cut, at the death. Perhaps they got a stay of execution at the last minute, or someone did them a favour which meant that they have been reprieved. This kind of close shave should serve as a wakeup call to do whatever needs to be done to avoid being in this situation again.

To be safe and not struggling – is a comfortable place to be, it is a position that has moderate aspirations and little stretch, and where growth and increase is not the primary goal but maintenance. The goal is not growth and becoming more, but on settling and not becoming less than. As stated, a mindset that is happy to settle, is prone to being unsettled and overtaken by people who are hungry for increase, improvement and growth.

To be safe and not fighting for survival – this worry is at the heart of our greatest concern as human beings, survival. Being in the lowest places in the game of life, is life and wellbeing threatening literally, and while it may be a strong source of motivation, the kind of motivation that involves fighting back from death’s door, it is too close to the edge to be enabling. My plea to anyone who feels that they are on the brink of checking out, is to check in with someone who can help you avoid the drop! The Game of life needs your contribution. We need you to survive!

To do better than the previous season - this I think is among the great ways to do the Game of life on our spinning ball: personal improvement rather than competitive improvement. This kind of motivation is about incremental increase and improvement over time for yourself. Unlike suddenly coming into exponential personal success, incremental improvement is about building over time the habits, attitudes, skills and experiences that sustain success. Its about setting personal bests and successively exceeding them. It's about increasing your stock and adding more value so that your life is on the up.

To finish above another team - the wish to do better than someone else, perhaps a rival, can be a helpful source of motivation. It is however an inferior source of motivation because it’s about being better than but not necessarily as good as one could be. In the beautiful game, it’s when a team doesn’t mind where they finish at the end of the season, if its above their local rival.

Ideas from the Tactics Head Coach

Wherever you are on your life’s league table, and I encourage you to choose a description/s that fit where you are currently, the following should prove helpful.

Engage in next level training and coaching - the kind of input from those who know how, that nudges you towards continuous incremental improvement in knowledge and capabilities, habits, mindset, attitudes, and behaviours

Acquire new and develop your current resources - for your present and your future self, things currently outside of you that need to be become part of your set up

Upgrade one’s mind set - so that you are growth-minded, don’t settle for less than or the same as before

Commit to an incremental improvement plan - and be intentional about it, take responsibility for your progression

Be around people who are progressing and achieving - being around them with note pad and pen will positively affect your beliefs, aspirations and performance

Don’t see where you are, wherever you are, as fixed and determined - it can all change for you and against you, against the run of play, so be attentive and humble.

If you are decline - get help to arrest this downward trend so that you are able to play your way back into the Game of your life

If you have fallen away, dropped off the chart - learn from it, invest in your progression, and plan and implement your comeback strategy.

Tony

Tony Bryce

Series Creator & Head Coach

For information about how Tony could help you with your game and league position, visit https://www.thetacticscoach.com/

Should you happen to be anywhere near Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, anytime soon, Tactics Live @ BD5, could be right up your street. Tactics Live @ BD5 combines live training, Game Management Group Coaching and an actual game of 6-aside-football, in ways that relate to the whole person, are challenge-based and fun. Inclusive of light lunch and winner's medals, Tactics Live @ BD5 is much more than a fun kick about; for you, it could be a game - changing day out! Sign up here!

From Breakdown to Breakthrough, playing your way back into the game of life after a setback, life lessons from the Beautiful Game

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 09:37:39 GMT

What do you do when you have done all you know to do, and everything you have been advised to do, and still there is no Return On Effort? How do you turnaround a frustrating situation to one of opportunity and growth? The following are suggestions from personal experience, study, and observation. I hope you find them helpful.

Real world expectations about the game of life

Despite having predicable, probable, and likely features, trends, and usual occurrences, it helps if your expectations of the Game of life are not one-sided but based on a well-rounded reading of the game, namely also takes account of unlikely, unusual, unwanted, and unexpected chance occurrence because life isn't fair or predictable. I have in my lifetime been upended by an overly optimistic and naïve take on life, that left me disappointed when my best effort, energy and skills didn’t convert into my desired outcome. Conversely, I have also been pleasantly surprised when, despite things looking depressing, hopeless, dead in the water and unlikely to change, they shifted in ways that I could only hope for. You might find it helpful, as with the beautiful game, to anticipate and prepare for, rather than be worried by, the typical challenges, set pieces and encounters of the Game of life, so that you have tactics and strategies for handing them when they predictably show up but also when they unpredictably show up, against the run of play. I am referring to those real-world events on our spinning ball like: gains, losses, failure, disappointments, frustrations, success, chances, opportunities, fair and unfair challenges, upsets, setbacks, opposition, overwhelm, an attacking threat, mistakes, embarrassing howlers, good fortune, lucky breaks. These things are woven into the fabric of the game of life, require skilful handling, and are addressed in my 8 module Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game, World Series .

Game plan

Your time on the ball will be hugely helped if you have a system - a responsive and cohesive game plan with strategies and tactics for creating and acquiring what you want; for safeguarding what you have gained; for resisting, and preventing what you don’t want, and for coming back from a setback when what you didn’t want to happen does. It helps if you have set yourself up for the Game of life in ways that help you maximise your efforts on the ball. ( My Olive Tactics Model Game Management System (OTM01) can help you with how you have set yourself up for the Game of your life, and the modules of the Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful game, World Series, provide ideas, inspiration, and insights for effectively handling the opportunities, challenges, and encounters of the Game of life) . Click here for details.

What time is it?

Game management is a key skill in the beautiful game as it is in the Beautiful Game of life. By game management I mean how you read and respond to the ebb and flow, the patterns and periods, the trends and developments, the times, and the seasons, the ups and downs of life, so you know when and how best to act and react based on knowledge, understanding, foresight. Game Management helps you take timely helpful action. For example, when to conserve one’s resources or invest more; when to up the tempo or take the pace out of the game; when to defend and when to go on the offensive; whether and when to change tact or to persist with the game plan you have been working until it achieves its end goal. When to sit back, and when to be on the front foot. When and whether to leave things as they are or make some changes. Sometimes what you are doing isn’t working because it doesn’t work, it’s just that the method, knowledge and capabilities that have served you well, are now out of season; are not what’s needed right now. For example, while it is good to thoroughly think things through, perhaps what is needed now is more action and less rumination. Or conversely, what is required is not more raw emotion but a better strategy, or time away to rest and recover spent energies rather than play all out when you really don’t need to chase the game.

Strong bark, wrong tree

Is a reference to putting your best effort (strong bark) into things that have low productivity value (wrong tree), namely, you are unlikely to get a return that is proportionate with your investment. Thus, it's not worth the effort. In the Game. of life its when you invest in something that is unlikely to produce increased value even if you were to invest more. Perhaps your next action is to cut your losses, withdraw your investment and to find a tree that has yield potential. Discernment in decision making is required because it may eventually yield, but at what cost. Maybe what you need to do is to give it as much time and energy as you are able to tolerate then come to a decision about calling time on it. In the beautiful game it's when an expensive player is purchased, invested in and given time, is released because they have not produced the goals you shelled out big money for. Perhaps the reason why there hasn't been a breakthrough may not be due to lack of effort on your part but because the thing invested in is a dud, a flop, a disappointment. It happens!

Training and coaching

If you are finding that you are struggling to convert, to achieve a return on your effort, or you want to convert more of your attempts, learning how best to from people who know how to would be a worthwhile investment. It helps to get better at handling the stuff of the Game of life. It could be through training and coaching that you find ways to achieve the breakthrough that has thus far eluded you.

Frustration management and emotional regulation

As in the beautiful game, going for goals will involve working intentionally towards what you would like and being frustrated in your attempts. Perhaps you are being let down by your own and your team’s poor follow through, lack of skill and application or being thwarted by the challenges of being in a competitive environment. Contrary to the overly optimistic view of life that you reap what you sow, sometimes what comes back is less than what you put in. Many of your attempts won’t come off or yield the returns you anticipated. There will be opposition and some things will unfairly go against you and in favour of someone else. You will have near misses and some legitimate achievements ruled out. You will miss sitters, put through your own net and be fairly and unfairly thwarted. All these situations require you to effectively manage feelings of annoyance, irritation, and exasperation.

Problem solving insight

Is tremendously useful and comes from insightful eyes and knowledgeable and skilful hands. It’s the ability to see why something isn’t resulting in gains and wins and being able to see where changes would result in improvement. It can be helpful to get experienced eyes and hands to look at what you are doing and to advise on improvements.

Time out and check ins

Are important. Time to think about how the first half has gone and what to do next to build on it or to turn it around if it hasn't gone well, is much better than persisting at it when it's not working. Time out and time away to think about what is working and what isn’t and to decide on changes is never wasted time. The value of timeouts to assess and plan is discussed further here.

Feedback

Is also helpful if you want your attempts to result in breakthrough. Such feedback provides information about the impact your efforts are having on your goal and why your efforts have or haven't resulted in goal achievement. The value of real time feedback is discussed further here .

Post match data analysis

Is a detailed look at the data from your activity and performance after the event. The fine details tell the story of why your efforts bombed or succeeded. They reveal for analysis the small margins and the little things that need adjusting to achieve the outcome you had in mind. The value of post-match analysis is discussed further here .

Optimising the system

Sometimes, it’s not a major overhaul that is needed, but a fine tuning of the whole system. It’s not one thing but quite a few small things that are contributing to the desired outcome not being delivered. The issue isn’t with an individual part, it’s the system. The issue is systemic. In the beautiful game, the issue is how the 11 positions of the team link with each other. Usefully, m y Olive Tactics Model Game Management System, (OTM01) walks you through your Game of life line up, your set up for the Game of your life, all 11 positions of the Game of life, and is an effective approach for maximising your time and efforts on our spinning ball. Click here to enquire about OTM01.

That one thing

Conversely, the problem that needs sorting is the thing that is undermining the rest of the system from producing the desired outcome. Once identified and rectified the system can deliver what it was designed to deliver. The offending part has been repaired. In business this could be sorting out that final page of the sales process that is turning people away from purchasing, everything else works like a dream. In the beautiful game, the issue is with one of the 11 position of the team.

Substitution

In the beautiful game a substitution is made to bring a new and fresh dynamic to the game play, perhaps to create an opening that has been resistant to change, to fill a gap that has left you vulnerable, to change the game to capitalise on chances that are being missed. The substitution, which represents a replacement and a change of strategy, brings a different approach and energy to what has been, and is based on problem solving insight and game management skills. It might just be what the game needed to get the efforts of the team over the line.

Patience and Persistence

If you have a good and proven plan and you are taking the required action, what might be required is not a change but a decision to stay with the approach and not give up on it. Your breakthrough might be a few attempts away from the change you are wanting. So don’t be quick to quit, stay the course.

Try something different

Conversely, what might be needed is not continuing with a course of action, but introducing something novel, something different, off script, something creative, out there, a long shot. This doesn’t have to mean abandoning a good and proven plan or the need for patience and persistence, but introducing a different element that might create an opening. For example, rather than ask for dates for a meeting, it might make all the difference if you offered some dates and offered to do the grunt work.

Mindset

Will be important, as you will be tempted to throw in the towel, to give up, to talk yourself out of what you believed was possible; to conclude that it’s not possible, or worth it. Be around people who will encourage you to keep going, when every part of you wants to quit.

Intensity and tempo

Perhaps what is needed is not less or the same level of energy and investment but more. Maybe what you want will buckle and yield if you upped your input. For example, made more calls, put more ads out, put in a few more hours, put more emotion and energy into your presentation.

Conversion improvement

As mentioned, perhaps the one thing that needs working on, is the decisive last piece of the conversion funnel. Perhaps the thing to work on is how you close the deal. Maybe you are creating many leads, but not converting them. In the beautiful game, the issue is with one of the forwards in your line up. Click here for some helpful actions on how to put away your goal attempts.

Creating chances

Or perhaps you are not creating enough chances, hence your low conversion rate. The thing to work on is the creation of many more good opportunities. In the beautiful game, the problem that needs addressing sits with the midfielders or with the support striker.

Formidable opposition

Notwithstanding all I have suggested, there will inevitably be times in the Game of life, that you are competing with someone who is head and shoulders above where you are, even at your best. Thus, while you are playing your best game, they are on fire and unplayable. The reason why you haven’t had a breakthrough is because you are being shut out by an unrelenting and awesome competitor. My best advice is to become formidable, capable and relentless!

It’s a funny old game

Finally, back to my first point, sometimes life happens for you and goes according to plans and expectations, and sometimes it doesn’t despite your considerable investment. When it flips for no apparent reason, against the run of play, you’re having one of those days that you smile through and take in your stride. Fortunately, failure is not your middle name and this is not how things usually go. These things tend to be few and far between. However, if you are having many more bad days than good days, you need some game-changing input to turn your losses into wins. I hope these insights prove useful.

Tony

Tony Bryce

Series Creator & Head Coach

For information about how Tony could help you with your game, visit https://www.thetacticscoach.com/

Should you happen to be anywhere near Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, anytime soon, Tactics @ BD5, could be right up your street. Tactics @ BD5 combines live training, Game Management Group Coaching and an actual game of 6-aside-football, in ways that support the physical and mental health of attendees. Inclusive of light lunch and winner's medals, Tactics @ BD5 is much more than a fun kick about; for you, it could be a game-changing day out! Sign up here!

Success Planning & Review, the value of the half-time team talk, life lessons from the beautiful game - workshop notes

Sat, 08 May 2021 08:19:15 GMT

INTRODUCTION

This workshop was delivered to a faith-based women's group, with little knowledge and interest in football. Notwithstanding. the feedback from the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, confirming that prior knowledge of the sport is not a prerequisite to meaningful engagement, and getting value from the Tactics Series.

Hi, my name is Tony Bryce. My manner and style with you in this workshop, is that of a football pundit (one who provides expert commentary on the game of football) & coach (one who trains players to raise their level of skill on the ball). Through the lens of the beautiful game, a reference to association football, called soccer in some countries, I provide commentary on the Game of life, and train and coach aspiring game-changers for impact on our spinning ball, starting with their own game. I know from personal experiences the pain and frustration of loss, under-achievement, being on the bench and not among the ones chosen, being small in stature and low in ability, and having to work overly hard, in the absence of a coach, to find my way and raise my game in order to participate and have more presence in the Game of life. If this is also your story, I hope I can be helpful to you.

As a student of life, a lover of learning, and a fan of the beautiful game, I have spent much of my personal and professional life accruing, practicing and teaching wisdom. Not just by reading the books and listening to the life insights of the great and the good, but by observing the Game of life, noticing, and paying attention. My Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game, World Series © , is one of the ways I help people have impact in the Game of life. See https://www.thetacticscoach.com/about-tactics

If football is of little interest to you, do not let this be a barrier to your engagement in this workshop. My reference to football is an analogy like the Parable of the Sower, and Paul the Apostle's reference to the Armour of God in Ephesians 6. Even though you may have little knowledge, or experience, or interest in agrarian life; what Roman Centurions wore in Paul’s day, or the world’s most popular support, there are important lessons to be learned from them if you are attentive. In my teaching and coaching practice I frequently use analogies like Jesus used stories and parables: I refer to everyday things to explain next level ideas. Those of you familiar with my Fitted and Furnished, the House God Built series, will know that I do something similar by referencing ideas from property development and interior design to remodel the rooms of our lives. See https://www.olive-branch.org.uk/fitted-and-furnished . Remember wisdom, the life insights behind the illustration, not the illustration itself, is the principal thing.

In this workshop, I walk you through the game planning and review processes used in football with a focus on the half time team talk. For those not familiar with the sport, after the first half of a game, about 45 minutes after the start, mid-way, each team has a 15-minute break; scheduled time away from active engagement in the game with their coach to essentially talk about the first 45 minutes and to plan for the next 45 minutes, the second half. However, before we get to the mid-way team talk, I begin with an overview of the pre-match game planning team talk.

In the game of football, the team has 5 opportunities to talk about the game with their manager/coach:

1. Days before the game, the next known encounter - what I am calling the pre-match game planning team and the associated training and coaching sessions

2. The uplifting, bonding, energising, motivational team talk just before the next game, the next encounter

3. Live, real time, immediate feedback during the game, from the touchline; while the game is in progress.

4. Mid-way, the fixed and scheduled half-time team talk, the focus of this workshop.

5. The post-match analysis, a detailed review of the game already played in readiness for the next encounter.

1) THE PRE-MATCH COACHING AND GAME PLANNING TEAM TALK

A few days from now you will inevitably have a meeting or an encounter; you will face a situation, a set of circumstances, perhaps a problem, a challenge or task, not necessarily difficult, though it could be, that you need to handle well in order to come away with the result you desire. Perhaps it's a conversation, an interview, a written piece, a keynote address, a journey, something you must undertake that you want to go well, that you do well to prepare for. It's not something that has been dropped on you unawares, it's something that you knew was coming, something expected that could be anticipated. That is what the pre-match game planning team talk and training and coaching sessions are for in the beautiful game: to plan, prepare and skill yourself up for what you know is coming, the event that is around the corner that requires your attention and focus.

The pre-match team talk is is not so much about motivating the players for the game, which could be 7 days away, it is about sharing knowledge from research of the game/the encounter ahead and to devise a plan, strategies, tactics, skills and resources towards the outcome/goal you want. It also includes gathering knowledge of the opposition, what you are up against, and how to counter and overcome. The pre-match game planning team talk is about identifying what is going to be required to achieve the result hoped for but not yet seen, and putting them in place. It's about forethought and preparation!

In your life, the pre-match game planning team talk and coaching sessions could look something like this:

Naming particular things you certainly want to accomplish in your life: either this year or before the final whistle/the last breath that ends your contribution on our spinning ball.

Coming up with an intelligent game plan to achieve the outcomes you want in the game, so that you do not just have desires and goals, but actions and attitudes towards them. It helps to begin by asking yourself, what do I want, and whether you have the required approach, knowledge, motivation, attitude, support, skills to achieve it. If not, you will need a way to acquire what is required for goal achievement.

Put your plan on paper, make it visual, use pictures/drawings; talk it through; drill it in, practice it beforehand so you can execute in the game. (Though some are able to work from the intentions they have in mind, many find it helpful to capture some of that on paper, not every detail, but the key features).

A plan based on current resources. Start with what you have and where you are and build from there. It’s not a problem if you are way off where you want to be. Don’t despise having to start small/ at the bottom of the league, the only way is up; you are on the move, soon you will have momentum.

A plan that clearly identifies not just what you want (goals) but what you must do to obtain it, otherwise its a dream - grand ideas without relevant works.

A plan based on your actions, not on things you don’t control, for example divine intervention or somebody gifting you a good opportunity and putting it on a plate for you.

Strategies to counter expected opposition to goal achievement. There will be things within you and within your social world that have the power to disrupt your progress; to upset your plans. Self-doubt, fear of criticism, loss of motivation, fear of failure, and procrastination are some of the self-limiting beliefs and behaviours that need to be countered each time you move forward. Debt, set-backs, failure, and unsupportive colleagues and friends, are examples of social world obstacles.

Training and coaching sessions to develop and practice the skills needed for the game. There's little value talking about what you must do if you don't know how to do it!

In addition to the tactics of the the Game of life, your attitude and emotional investment is hugely important. You must believe that the goal you have in mind is possible to achieve and worthwhile. Notwithstanding, you must also check your expectations, if you don’t think it’s possible, you will go out there expecting to lose. At the first set back, you will experience in your body and mind a replay of that old script from a previous disappointing game/encounter, “I knew this was not going to work, what was I thinking. I can't do this.” It helps if you are able to recall previous victories, battles won. If you have done your homework, you will be prepared for the inevitable challenges within the game, and not easily knocked off the ball.

Activity 1: identify a goal/s from the start of the year, some objective or desirable outcome that you wanted to accomplish by the end of 2021 that has not yet been achieved. Include a statement about where are you up to with it/them.

2) THE JUST BEFORE THE GAME MOTIVATIONAL TEAM TALK

The team talk just before the game is more of a motivational team talk and a reminder of the attitude and actions that were discussed and practiced at the game planning team talk and coaching sessions. The motivational team talk draws on the power of words and the energy generated by big physical movements to put the team in a positive mental state. Notwithstanding, it is not enough on its own without the game planning team talk, otherwise you have excitement without know how, which hastens frustration and discouragement! It's about mind and body motivation!

That concludes my overview of the 2 pre-match team talks. The first is instructional , the second is motivational.

Activity 2: working with your group, write down the content / key words of a pep talk you might give yourself just before embarking on some challenge. Describe how you would deliver the pep talk to yourself! Be prepared to share your ideas with the whole group!

Now on to opportunity #3, instructions during the game.

3) REAL TIME, REAL WORLD INSTRUCTIONS DURING THE GAME

While out there working your game plan in the real world several things could happen:

You have a great plan and you are working it well; things are going to plan.

You have a great plan, it’s just that you haven’t been working it, so it feels like it doesn’t work or it’s not going to work, when really you have not been working it!

You are being frustrated in your attempts to work your plan; it’s not as easy or as straight-forward as you thought it was going to be.

Perhaps you underestimated the t/ask or had an early set-back that knocked you back. If so, don’t panic, you have time to turn it around, to get back on track, to adjust your playing style in response to developments and events in the game; to pull on your other resources; to up your game; to adjust your plan according to your reading of the game, to play your way back into the game after a mis-step or mishap.

Instruction during the game are opportunities to benefit from real time reproof, correction and instruction from the touchline from an animated/composed coach, who sees where you are leaking goals and seeks to address these with you. Not as someone who is against you, but as one who cares about your game, who kicks every ball with you, willing you to success. Real time feedback is required because for most situations, you can’t wait until you have a planned break at half time or for the end of the game before you receive feedback and further instruction about how its going, both might be too late. There's little value talking about something that has already gone wrong when it needn’t, had you addressed it earlier.

You may have seen football coaches on the touchline, being observant, shouting instructions, gesturing overtly, giving direction, getting emotional, becoming frustrated, celebrating wildly or sat with their hands on their head. The coach sees what the team is doing; what's not working and needs to change; what needs a different approach. They see gaps and weaknesses: where the team is being over-run and being taken advantage of and what it needs to do more/less of. They seek to lift the team's mood when they have had a set-back; when their heads have dropped. However, they provide more than motivation to encourage the heart, they provide education to inform the mind, so the team knows how to intelligently respond; how to turn things around before the game runs away with them, leaving them with a mountain to climb.

Recap: so you plan and prepare before a game (#1&2), and you make adjustment to plans during the game (#3) if required, and it will be required. If you have not prepared well, the reality can be starkly different from the theory - how you assumed it would go before you began.

Now to our main theme, the half-time team talk.

4) THE SCHEDULED HALF-TIME TEAM TALK

In the game of football after 45mins, the first half, each team has a planned break in the game for 15 mins to retreat with their coach to their dressing room for the half-time team talk. Dedicated time with their coach to briefly assess and review the team's first half performance and to plan for the next in that order. To fill gaps, to reinforce the game plan, or to change tact; to lift heads if results are not going their way, to ground people if they are feeling overconfident, because things are going their way; to issue instructions regarding next actions; to foster the attitude and energy they will need to have if they are to come away with the desired final result.

Some of these team talks have been describe as 'hair dryer treatments' - a torrent of forceful words from a passionate manager, a dressing down, but would also include encouragement, inspiration, instruction, correction and fighting talk. The half time team talk is not time to celebrate, even if the team have done very well, and look to have won this encounter; nor is it time for tears if the team has a mountain to climb and is staring defeat in the face. The game is not over, it's a game of 2 halves, and nor is your life, we still have time to change things around, as well as lose the momentum and the advantage we have.

After the half-time team talk, each team re-joins the game to implement what was said during the break. Instructions given during the break are not things you ignore, by doing your own thing. If things are to be better, we must do what is required, correct what was identified for correction, follow instruction, and accept any dressing room dressing down as helpful feedback for improvement.

The half time team talk is important because it is a chance to stop and listen, to review activity and progress, to mid-course correct so you remain on the right path. As players in the Game of life, we are prone to drift, to go off track, to lose our way, to change our minds when things get tough, to lose concentration; we forget what we are about and what we should be doing. We get distracted, we struggle with implementation, we get cold feet and need reminding, we go off the boil and need to re-envision; unexpected things happen that set us back that we need to respond to intelligently. There is new information and different ways to consider and act on. Because it's not working. We need to go back-to-back to basics, back to the plan.

Activity 3: Based on your performance in the first half of the year, I want you to do 2 things in the third person:

1. Assess and Review: write down what you need to say to yourself about your actions and attitudes during the first 6 months of 2021, read it to yourself so you hear yourself say it, avoiding the hair dryer approach mentioned above, forceful torrent of words aimed at you, unless you would find this approach the kind of kick in the pants you need to give yourself to get going!

2. Plan and Act: write down just 2 things you need to do to make the most of the second half of 2021 and follow through.

My example,

"Tony, you began 2021 at a fast pace, chasing down many new opportunities and avenues, as a result your game play has become complicated and you appear to be tiring. Now would be a good time to slow the game down, to take some time out, to think and plan for the second half of the year with singular focus.

Tony, there are gaps in how you have done the first half of the year that you need to fill in the second half. There are some important connections that were missing in the first half that you need to make in the second half of the year.

Tony, there are people in your life, people who make up the spine of your life, that you need to bring into the game that didn't get much of a look in, in the first half.

Tony you need to play out from the back and check in with body, mind and spirit, more frequently, if you are to end the year having made progress towards your 5 year goals, rather than frustrated and disappointed.”

5) POST-MATCH ANALYSIS

Note that the half-time team talk is only 15 minutes, it is brief. It is not a detailed analysis, but a mid-course assessment of the key things that are required for good results. At the half-way stage of the game, too much information and too many instructions overwhelms the mind, goes over our heads and is not heard. Detailed analyses come later, not during the game or immediately after the game, that’s too soon, heads are not able to hear sound analysis and good judgment when emotions are still running high, but afterwards, when we are in a better place in our heads to hear it.

Analyses of the detailed kind are discussed days before the next game, so that lessons can be learned, gaps filled, and skills practised, in readiness for the next encounter. At such time, we study the small margins and the results of our previous actions - the game data, not the fact of the final score - that the game was won, drawn or lost, but how, where and why the game was won, drawn or lost.

SUMMARY

In this workshop we have touched on the game planning and review process in the game of football, with emphasis on the half-time team talk. On 31st December 2021, at mid-night, the whistle to end 202 1 and to start the next year of your life, the new season, will chime across the capital cities of our world. In that moment, what do you want the results of your 2021 season to be? Where will you be on your life's league table? Where you were, behind, or further on? What will you have learned from the 2021 season that might help you with your new season, 2022?

This is a good day for all of us to act on these things before 2021 runs away from us.

Tony

Tony Bryce

Series Creator & Head Coach

For information about how Tony could help you with your game, visit https://www.thetacticscoach.com/about-tactics

Goal attempts and goal achievement, life lessons from the Beautiful Game on how to convert your life chances

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 08:05:25 GMT

There's much to learn from the beautiful game about how to attempt and put away our life goals. Here are some things to consider that could prove helpful.

Something to aim at - you need something specific to aim at, to work toward, so that your actions and activities have relevance, purpose and intentionality behind them. Some worthwhile definite objective, target, object of desire, intention, whose achievement is considered possible and desirable, and can be measured as an accomplishment. Without some desirable objective to work towards, there's little impetus to strive or urgency to get something done. Without something to work towards, life can feel like treading water - activity but no progress. Goals motivate and excite, so give yourself some worthwhile objectives and work towards them so you experience not only movement - the joy of doing what you like, but accomplishment - the joy of achievement.

Have a go - There must be attempts, intentional acts towards what you want. You must give it a go. You are unlikely to achieve your goal without a reasonable attempt towards it. Though you may occasionally get a fortunate ricochet that puts you in an advantageous position, these chance occurrences are outside your control and are not to be relied on.

You miss more than you convert - many of your attempts will not come off as you would ideally want - they will miss the mark and fall short of what you were hoping for. In the beautiful game, it’s not unusual to have many more attempts than shots on target, and to have even less that result in goal achievement. It is possible to have 20 shots at goal in a game, for 50% of those to be on target, to score 2 out of the 10 that were on target, and still win the game despite a shot conversion rate of 10%. It is possible for 90% of your attempts to not convert and still walk away with victory because the ones that did convert prove to be enough.

Skills and movement are required to convert - it's not just about having a go, though that's where it starts, it's about carrying out the required manoeuvres and actions intentionally and skilfully.

Work on your attempts - understanding and improving how you execute, implement, follow through, take action is a worthwhile undertaking. On examination, you may find that you are rushing your shots, taking too long, making too few attempts, or trying to be too clever/too polished with the effort. Maybe the shot lacks conviction or has a low likelihood of success, or you are taking one touch to many, for example, you have added extra content to your presentation that has lessened its impact. Working intentionally on your attempts is likely to increase your shot conversion so practice for improvement.

What this game needs is a goal - the achievement of some desirable objective that lifts you, affirms you and represents a return and a reward for your efforts. Success at something that was achieved through one's efforts can have both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. An example of an extrinsic reward would be passing one's probationary period. Intrinsic rewards are incredibly powerful - the self-confidence, positive energy, motivation and self-belief generated by experiencing success is a great driver of future attempts. Compare this to the feelings of disappointment, sadness and self-doubt that often follow underachievement and a loss. While we must learn from failure we are encouraged by success. We all need wins to validate our competence.

Long shots - A long shot is usually an attempt from distance, but rarely does these attempts result in success as they are attempted in areas of the pitch where, statistically, goal achievement is extraordinary. Long shots are mostly wishful and hopeful! However, they can be a useful strategy when all else has been tried, or it’s the last moments of the day and things are becoming desperate. The long shot is often attempted when time is against us, or when there is no technical or tactical appreciation of the game – the small details, the fine margins, and the skills and manoeuvres required to be a fox in the box, someone who more often than not converts their chances when with shooting range. Or because we are unable to get into the box where most goals are converted.

A long shot has a low return of success. When they come off they are celebrated for being extraordinary because they are achieved where goals are not usually converted. Perhaps it's better to work mostly at chances that have a higher rate of conversion, low hanging fruit, shots in the box, but don’t discount attempting the long shot, shots outside the box. Hoping to pass your driving test having never had a lesson is an example of a long shot. As is applying for a course or job without the required qualifications. The long shot is a "let’s give it a go, you never know it might just work approach." Indeed it might!

Pea attempts at goal - are lacklustre attempts at achievement; attempts that lack energy, conviction, and enthusiasm. Pea attempts at goal are easily dealt with. They have low impact and a low chance of success. When attempting something it pays to put something behind it, to put your foot through it. To strike at goal with the kind of belief and force of will that carries your idea forward. You must give it your best shot!

Lucky Goals – as the name suggests, are achievements that are more fortunate than they are intentional and deserved. I am referring here to an attempt that was scuffed, that ricocheted off your shin, that was gifted in some way. Although not skilfully and intentionally put away, they count. An example of this is when you get chosen for an opportunity because you just happen to be the first to arrive, or had your name draw from a hat! If you are building for the future, you can't rely on or wait for these luck breaks. They often come unexpectedly. You can however prepare for favourable opportunities should they come knocking.

Own Goals - when someone’s error and howler puts you in an advantageous position or conversely, something you didn’t mean to do, gifted someone and disadvantaged yourself. I am referring here to goal achievement that was won because someone made an error in judgment. Perhaps you won the contract because the other person with more industry experience submitted late or cut corners, or didn’t show up. Or you lost the deal because of something you said that you should not have. Its when you trip yourself up and put through your own net! We do well to sort our footing out, so we are not committing regular acts of self-sabotage.

An eye for goal – means that you have an acute sense of what you need to do to achieve a goal. It means you are goal-orientated and adept at taking and putting away your chances, even the ones that don’t look like much. Its about being a poacher in front of goal. (A football idiom to describe someone who often gets in the right place at the right time; who converts little openings into successful outcomes).

Team Goals - this is where the goal was achieved because everyone did their bit, played their part, and contributed something to the final successful outcome. It’s when everyone involved in the process did what was required; when from one end of the process to the other, the whole thing was seamlessly delivered. Team goals are especially satisfying as they require a range of skills from a range of people. Some of things you want to achieve will require many skilful hands making light work.

Individual Goals – this is when an individual’s singular effort is largely responsible for goal achievement. When someone shows their class, and it is clear they made the outcome possible. Rewarding individual brilliance can be a good thing to do, however while it may encourage healthy competition between co-workers, and encourages personal skills development, it might also foster selfishness and greed as each person might strive to convert for self and miss, when it would have been better to provide an assist.

Braces and Hat-tricks – linked to individual goals, this is when an individual is in a rich vein of form and has achieved multiple good outcomes one after the other. Being in a rich vein of form is great for confidence.

The Screamer – this is when one of those long shots I referred to earlier comes off. When the ball doesn’t just cross the line but hits the back of the net. It’s when an attempt is powerfully struck and flies in without resistance. When an attempt is convincingly executed. It’s when you crush it; when what you did was not just good, it was smashing, literally.

Near Misses – are when your best efforts sail pass the post by a whisker; when you are close but not close enough; when your attempt is off the mark, not by much but by small margins. When your attempt doesn't fully cross the line. Unfortunately, a near miss is not on target, it was not converted and therefore is an unsuccessful attempt. As we said earlier, we miss more than we score, so keep having a go. A near miss means you are not far off, it means that with some target practice, you should be able to turn those near misses into shots on target and success.

Early Goal – an early goal in the Game of life is when you achieve or peak early, when you are ahead despite having just begun. The early goal has its advantages. It’s a great boost and is likely to get your tail up as you go in search of another goal. On the downside, it means you must either hold on to what you have or quickly build on it by getting another as the opposition will be pressing for the equaliser. If you have conceded early don't panic. Though you may be behind having just begun you have time to respond, to play your way back into the game, to turn it around.

Late/last minute Goal – is when after much endeavour, near misses and close calls you finally get a decisive touch that makes the difference, just before the opportunity was timed out. The late goal can be the just rewards of persistence and patience. However, if you have conceded late it means that you were not able to hold on to the advantage you had. It pays to keep going if you are in need of a goal, but to also stay focused so you don’t throw it all away in the final minutes of the day. An example of this is when you get the required sale before the deadline. Or lose first place in the last round.

Goals from a set piece - this is when you have been given a one off chance to put away a specific opportunity. For example, when you are required to do a presentation or impress at interview; when you are required to make that one attempt count. These moments require you to be poised and focussed, so the opportunity isn’t wasted.

Saved shots that are on target – these can be frustrating because you are on target, it’s just that your well executed attempt doesn’t result in success because someone else did just enough to deny you the achievement. It’s when you did everything that could reasonably be asked of you but you miss out because someone did one better. Should this happen, go again. Like near misses, you are not far away, in fact you are on point. Had you not been fairly thwarted by another person you would be celebrating.

A low scoring win - while you may not have pulled up trees and bagged many successful outcomes, you have done something, perhaps one thing, that counts as a successful outcome. Whatever the reason for bagging only one goal, e.g. many attempts were thwarted or you had too few chances in the Game, you have done enough to secure the win. More of the same and you could be on a roll.

High scoring win - speaks of experiencing multiple returns on effort. Not only have you done enough to win, you have bossed and smashed it. You brought your scintillating best self and were unstoppable. Multiple returns on effort is great for confidence going into the next encounter. While you could settle for a certain win with less goals achieved, if you are in a good moment, why not fill your boots with more goals bagged so that you win big. Your next encounter might be more of a challenge to secure the win.

Express yourself, enjoy the game - while end game goals are a great source of motivation and represent our desired long-term final result, its not always helpful to approach them like nothing else matters, to the neglect of expressing ourselves and enjoying many moments during the game. It's important that you also have as a goal, daily life enjoyment of the moments of the Game, otherwise you may get what you always wanted in the end, some material return on effort but find that the gain was all pain, that you have ground out the result. Though grinding out results, hard fought wins, are part of the Game of life, the most satisfying wins are when you play your game and express your skills freely and they result in achievement. While the team and the fans ultimately want the win, 3 points, they also want to enjoy the game and be entertained in the process. A boring win is a win, but they are not as satisfying as when the team win by playing attractive scintillating football. Its not just about the end result, it's how it was achieved. By all means go after what you want but remember to also enjoy your journey towards it.

Many attempts, no success – perhaps even more frustrating than near misses and shots saved, is when your many attempts haven’t resulted in goal achievement. Thus, you have had attempts, many attempts, and some of those attempts have been on target, but they didn’t result in the decisive outcome you wanted. Even though you have put in the right effort and been skilful and determined, you will have one of those days, we all do, when what you reasonably expected just doesn’t come off. When you toil all night and catch nothing. When there is no Return On Effort. These things happens from time to time. Should it happen often, the problem is probably closer to home. It means you need to work on how you execute. Check out my suggestions here for moments like these.

The next time you go for goal, put some of these ideas to work for you. "The results we want are rarely put on a plate for us, they are usually intelligently worked on before they are skilfully put away!"

Tony

Tony Bryce

Series Creator & Head Coach

For information about how Tony could help you with your game, visit https://www.thetacticscoach.com/

Should you happen to be anywhere near Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, anytime soon, Tactics @ BD5, could be right up your street. Tactics @ BD5 combines live training, Game Management Group Coaching and an actual game of 6-aside-football, in ways that impact to the whole person, are challenge-based and fun. Inclusive of light lunch and winner's medals, Tactics @ BD5 is much more than a fun kick about; for you, it could be a game - changing day out! Sign up here!

Overcomers, unleashing the assets of the underdog, life lessons from the Beautiful Game

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 13:56:45 GMT

I am often inspired by those moments in the beautiful game when the team that comes out on top, was seen at first viewing to be 'the least of these' – the un-fancied, under-estimated non-starter who went on to topple top opposition. Their achievements remind us that it’s not always the size of the dog that determines the outcome of an encounter, but the size of the bite in the dog, namely, internal psychological characteristics often unseen by onlookers. So, what might these internal psychological characteristics be and how might we use them to our advantage?

View of self – just because one might not have the pedigree, history of success, reputation, and status of the top dog, doesn’t mean that you have nothing going for you. On the contrary, you have skills that when put to their optimum use can give you an unsuspected and surprising advantage. It helps to see yourself, and your resources, however small they may be, as having giant-toppling potential.

View of others – just because the team you are up against have form, numerous successes, and titles and accolades to speak of, doesn’t mean that they can’t be overcome, that they are invincible. It can be helpful to see opposition as surmountable; that they can be beaten, with the right strategy.

View of the current situation – the situation you are in is a unique one, it’s a now opportunity, unrelated to what might have happened before. Thus, it’s about what you make of the chance you have today. Granted, you may have lost many previous encounters with the same opponent, but the outcome of today’s encounter is yet to be decided. Just because you haven't yet, doesn't mean you never will! On your day, you can be on top form, and your formidable opponent might have an off day. If you bring into the moment what you have learned from the previous encounters, rather than the memory that you lost them, you have knowledge and experience that could work for you.

How top dogs might view underdogs – when others look at you as being small fry, insignificant, and not to be taken seriously, as there is a tendency for top dogs to do to underdogs, they are underestimating you and the situation, and are playing too close to the perilous edge of complacency and arrogance, which is to your advantage. When they lower their guard because of their low opinion of you, they play into your hands and allow you to slip by unnoticed.

How top dogs might view themselves – there is a danger top achievers must guard against and that is to see themselves as inevitable winners, with little about their game that needs improving. Such an attitude wrongly concludes that there is nothing to learn or prepare for, that they have enough within themselves to successfully handle the underdog, because they are superior in skills, history, and reputation, and the odds are hugely in their favour. Such an attitude is responsible for many a downfall.

How top dogs might view the situation – they might expect the outcome to be successful like their many previous encounters and therefore come unprepared for this encounter. An encounter that the underdog has risen to and prepared for, as a chance to finally get one over on their formidable opposition.

Play to your strengths, play your own game, not theirs – you are likely to lose if you go toe to toe with an opponent who is in another league, and possesses elite level skills. You can’t play them at their own game, you have a better chance at victory when you bring your best self and your unconventional style of play, something that perhaps frustrates their game play. For example, whilst your playing style might lack the sophistication they possess, your dogged approach, team spirit, brave heart, boldness and never give up mentality, could be the thing that counters their technical and tactical superiority.

Exploit their weakness – while top dogs have many skills, the very thing that is a superior strength also contains the seeds to their defeat. For example, as in the beautiful game, their towering defenders who are adept at dealing with aerial balls, can be overcome on the ground by nifty and tricky forwards who have a low centre of gravity.

Work on building your own confidence - by identifying the skills and qualities that can help you succeed. Work on your game rather than trying to copy someone who has superior resources gathered over many years.

Own your current status - the ability to be humble, empathetic, and understanding are emotionally intelligent skills that you can develop when you’re starting out and don’t have any of the big names pulling strings for you. People connect to people when they are open, honest, and authentic and have a story to tell about overcoming against the odds, and often prefer to back the little guy who took on the big conglomerate and won. Being transparent about your status or vulnerabilities as a business can help consumers connect with you better - your story of struggle might remind them of their own.

Under the radar - being under the radar means that the top dog didn’t see you coming; didn’t take you seriously and therefore had no plan to deal with you and what you have going for you. Don’t be put off if you are underestimated and dismissed as someone not to be taken seriously. Keep doing what you do, keep honing what you do behind closed doors, unseen and unnoticed by talent spotters, until your moment of unveiling catches them unawares.

People rarely expect underdogs to succeed and tend to back proven winners. They tend to put their time, money, and interest behind the form team. This is an underdog advantage. While it is understandable to want to attract the attention of people who can put time, money, and interest behind you, if you are able to succeed without their investment, you are making a statement about what you are capable of without them. They are likely to pay attention and want in on what you are doing when your simple manner is making waves in the marketplace.

You are expected to fail – and therefore you have nothing to lose. Because of this you don’t fear losing. You are not burdened by the expectation of victory. You don’t have to worry about who is working hard to topple you and who wants your scalp. You don’t have to worry about who will be disappointed or shocked by your loss. You have no reputation to defend. If you lose, it’s what was expected therefore no surprises there, however, if you win, then you are celebrated for your giant-toppling achievement. Free from the expectation of victory, you are free to do what you do best, to enjoy the occasion but not be overawed by it. People maybe pleasantly surprised by what you were able to do, even if you don’t secure the win.

You are open to learning - to trying new things. You can afford to experiment while you build your team, and perfect your way.

The expectations you have are above and beyond what you and others expected. Thus while others expect the top team to win, you are happy to have had the opportunity to participate. At the very least you have something to tell the grandchildren, even if it the occasion ended in defeat. How you competed on the big stage, against some top players and lost!

To prove the naysayers wrong - this can be a great source of motivation for underdogs, silencing the doubters who said you can’t and never will, especially the backers who had the means to help but turned you down when you needed their support at a critical moment in the game of your life.

While it is possible for the underdog to come out on top, the outcome often goes to form - the top team usually wins out. The assets of the underdog do not always translate to success when up against superior might, skills, ability, and resources. Notwithstanding, it is important to disrupt this trend, to at least win one if you can’t win them all, and to build from there. Perhaps the thing that the underdog must first overcome is not their external opponent but their internal adversary. By seeking support to silence self-doubt and imposter syndrome, you are strengthening your core to deal with external opponents. Besides, because people like to emotionally back the underdog, you will have people in your corner hoping that your success against the odds inspires others to do the same.

Tony

Tony Bryce

Series Creator & Head Coach

For information about how Tony could help you with your game, visit https://www.thetacticscoach.com/

Should you happen to be anywhere near Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, anytime soon, Tactics @ BD5, could be right up your street. Tactics @ BD5 combines live training, Game Management Group Coaching and an actual game of 6-aside-football, in ways that look at the whole person, are challenge-based and fun. Inclusive of light lunch and winner's medals, Tactics @ BD5 is much more than a fun kick about; for you, it could be a game - changing day out! Sign up here!

Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game, World Series - an introduction

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 13:49:44 GMT

Hi, my name is Tony Bryce, Series Creator and Head Coach of Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game, World Series ^© . Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game is an online learning, training and coaching platform that provides insights, ideas and inspiration from the beautiful game for impact on our own spinning ball. I am, in a manner of speaking, a football pundit and coach: through the lens of the beautiful game, I provide expert commentary on the Game of life, and train and coach aspiring game changers, starting with their own game.

Whether or not you are a fan of the beautiful game, a reference to the sport of association football, called soccer in some countries, or understand it fully, I have observed game-changing ideas for impact and influence on our own spinning ball from the beautiful game, that parallel our own beautiful game, the game of life.

As a student of life, a lover of learning and a fan of the beautiful game, I have spent all my life accruing wisdom, and much of my personal and professional life, practicing and teaching it. Not just by reading the books and listening to the wisdom of the great and the good, but by observing the Game of life, noticing, and paying attention.

My 8 module Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game World Series ^© , is an example of my being 'on the ball'. Through the Tactics Series I share my game-changing story and insights with you.

Wisdom:

from my observations of life, and the beautiful game, that have positively affected my time on the ball, enabling me to build momentum from a place of loss and underachievement, to play my way back into the Game, and to move forward faster with finesse

that has enabled me to recover from setbacks, to ride challenges, to regain my shape, to build from the back

that I have packaged to help you make the most of your time on the ball

for a well run life, that has mostly gone unnoticed until now

that I am keen to make widely known, so that others learn how they might raise their game and make the most of their time on the ball.

Developed by me, Tony Bryce, in 2013, Tactics, Wisdom from the ‘Beautiful Game’, is an optimum living education (olive) e-learning series that draws on football analogies, my OTM Game Management System , and a sprinkling of wisdom literature, to explore the beautiful game of life: inspirational and insightful approaches to the challenges and set pieces of life; fair play' principles; winning ways: brain-based success strategies and personal effectiveness techniques; leadership and management concepts and practices for your life and life's work: game-changing ideas that could help you set yourself up for optimum impact on our spinning ball, to convert chances, and obtain desirable results.

The Tactics e-learning series is delivered to different audiences and in a variety of ways, including via automated webinars, custom-made live webinars, and in person. Each in person live game is a part of a high tempo taught programme that takes participants through a series of exercises designed to improve their fitness and raise their game for increased impact on the Game.

Levels 1-8 is open to men and women, and to people of all faiths and none, Notwithstanding, level 5 has a leadership and management focus, for your life and enterprise (OTM05); level 6 explores the Christian worldview through the lens of the Beautiful Game (OTM06) and level 7 involves OTM Game Management Coaching with aspiring game changers (OTM07).

Game Management Group Coaching is a safe space to work on, at and through game-changing ideas through high support, challenge-based interactions with like-minded others.

Supported by social media and video-conferencing platforms, each recruit begins at level 1 (OTM01) and works their way up to level 8, the highest level (OTM08), if this is their goal.

If football is not your thing, it matters not. If you are ready to take mastery over the game of your life, my accessible OTM Game Management System ^© , and the modules of the Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game World Series ^© , could assist you with this goal.

Tony

Tony Bryce

Series Creator & Head Coach

https://www.thetacticscoach.com/

If you wish to be wise ...

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 16:46:41 GMT

Tactics, Wisdom from the Beautiful Game, World Series, is premised on my search for wisdom: trustworthy, insightful, and beneficial information that would enable me to act on the circumstances of my life with knowledge, foresight and discernment - in ways that are empowering and helpful and equip me to be resourceful.

If you wish to be wise ..

Study Wisdom.

Notice, pay attention, observe, watch; be present, in the moment.

Raise your awareness of self and others, from what is going on within you and around you.

Ponder the paths of your feet: where am I? How did I get here? Where am I going? How do I get there?

Adopt a steady pace; we miss important things when we go too fast.

Listen, wonder, be curious.

View mishaps and unfortunate accidents as learning and growth opportunities, and as you recover from the trauma of them, use them to help others.

Reflect on experiences, the pleasant and the unpleasant.

Read, study, make notes.

Talk with others about important and useful things.

Ask questions for understanding.

Love learning, the acquisition of knowledge and skills for improvement.

Teach what you have learned.

Learn from your own and other people's experiences, what worked, what didn’t.

Act on what you currently know. Refine your understanding as you experience more.

Learn from success and failure, revise action and go again.

Copy what works, you don't always have to create a new wheel to get things moving!

Make use of hindsight: learn from what happened. Develop foresight: farsightedness, the long view over time. Seek insight: to better understand. Make use of oversight: appreciation of the big picture; an understanding of the whole.

Respect instruction, correction, constructive challenge, and feedback.

Be discerning, not all that glitters is gold.

Be diligent. Accrue wisdom intentionally. Stockpile it and make use of it!

Be in the presence of experienced old hands, those who possess know-how from years of practice, from those who walk their talk and achieve with integrity.

Make use also of new and proven methodologies and technologies for changing times.

Respect your Maker’s foresight, insight, wisdom, and counsel. He is trustworthy and knows everything completely, the end from the beginning and everything in between, and wants you to choose wisely so that it might be well with you.

Tony

Tony Bryce

Series Creator & Head Tactics Coach

Principal of Olive Branch Academy Online

https://www.thetacticscoach.com/
https://www.olive-branch.org.uk/ob-academy-online