Life is certainly tough and will teach you a lesson or two along the way. If you are busy raising the level of your “Championship” game, you will realize that occasionally you are going to be humbled. That’s to be expected, and you must be prepared to be mentally tough, resilient and relentlessly buoyant. When life deals you a handful of nothing, keep your wits about you and get busy reminding yourself that it’s championships that you are after, not defeats. When you are learning a lesson, or handling some adversity, remember your purpose and the game will slow down again.

You know why you have chosen the path that you have chosen, but will everyone else know how you see the playing field or how you’re planning to play your “Championship” level game? Unless you remain clear and committed to your “why” and your vision for where you’re headed (and how you plan to deliver the results you’ve been assigned), you will struggle when the going gets tough. If you stoke your fire regularly and remember that you decided to operate with purpose and have a vision for a future state that brings incredible value, you will sustain your sense of urgency as necessary.

Sadly, too many business professionals can only play at the “Championship” level once in a great while. Their sense of urgency ebbs and flows, and their passion for the quality of their work comes and goes. As a result, they cannot deliver ambitious results unless their “A” game is available. Realize that you are the only person who can ensure that your response and activity levels are appropriately high in every situation. If you’ve ever wondered what one of your teammates was doing when they were too blasé’ in their response to an obvious challenge, you know what we’re talking about here. Your sense of urgency belongs to you, and it determines how you will be viewed by others. High sense of urgency is almost always superior to a “ho-hum” level of response. You own your energy, and you own your urgency. Don’t ever risk seeming disinterested or disengaged. Championships are won by those who can maintain their “Championship” level game whenever it’s needed.

There’s nothing sweeter than a championship unless perhaps it’s a “repeat” championship. If you’d like to learn how it feels to be a part of a championship dynasty, realize that you need to raise the level of your game and ensure that your sense of urgency is consistently very high and appropriately so.

Michael is a business advisor to high technology firms all over the United States and specializes in working with C-Suite Executives and their leadership teams. Michael is passionate about helping companies to achieve high levels of employee engagement and building “Championship” culture that leads to winning records and ambitious results. If you’d like to speak with Michael about helping to develop the next generation of leaders and champions for your organization, send Michael an email at info@michaelbeachcoach.com.