With the crowning of the 2010 NBA championship going to the LA Lakers, it is difficult to believe that another basketball season has already come to a close. I can’t believe how fast time flies! Now that the season is over it is time for the players to get some much deserved rest in anticipation for another long season next year. When I was watching the NBA finals the last couple weeks, I couldn’t help but reflect on how tired both teams must have been after an exasperating 80+ game season. The games have gotten brutally physical, players are stronger than ever before, and both of those factors lead to more bumps, bruises, and players with aching bodies. I always admire the guys like Lebron, KG, Rondo, and Bynum for their intensity and ability to bring 110% in every game regardless of how much pain they are feeling or nagging injuries that don’t have time to heal. When I played D1 basketball in college, we typically played 30-40 games in a season and by the time that last game was over, I felt like I could hardly walk. Sprained ankles, jammed fingers, bruises, etc, all add up over the course of the season with very little time to get things healed properly. I couldn’t imagine playing at a grueling NBA pace.
The Business World
Now that my sports career is over and I am now in the business world, I can’t help but notice how similar an NBA season is to being an entrepreneur. Let’s face it, entrepreneurs take a beating day in and day out, with little time to rest. Early mornings at the airport, 80 hour weeks, email that never stops piling up, and never ending pressure to perform. When you own your own business, sometimes you don’t have the luxury of taking a day off because you’re worn out. In most cases, you need to ignore the exhaustion and put one foot in front of the other. Best selling author and successful entrepreneur Chris Brogan did a great job of illustrating the demands of his life through his youtube video clips titled, “Overnight Success.” In one clip, he reflects on getting up at 4:30am before sunlight to catch a flight, while another video shows him on vacation somewhere tropical and instead of sitting by the pool, he remained in his hotel room to finish some work on his computer. It looks glamorous on the surface to have a best selling book and thousands of twitter followers, but in reality all of that success comes down to hard work and sacrifice.
80 Games vs 80 Hours
Whether you’re a professional athlete with a grueling 80+ game season, an entrepreneur, or someone working for that big promotion, the stress and workload is going to be intense. In most cases it is going to feel like you are in the 4th quarter of the NBA finals with 2 minutes left in the game and the score is tied. It is the people who dig deep and keep pushing forward, who end up being successful. Keep in mind however, that NBA athletes don’t take on a daunting 80+game season alone. They have countless resources to tap into in order to help them succeed. For example, players have access to athletic trainers, nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches, shooting coaches, assistant coaches, and sports psychologists to help players get focused( just to name a few). I would encourage entrepreneurs to take this same approach in business as there are a lot of resources to tap into as well. For example, entrepreneurs can regularly attend networking events, read helpful books, invest in good seminars, business coaches, mentors, local business clubs, family, friends, etc. When you start brainstorming, it is amazing how many resources are out there to take advantage of. No matter who you are or how smart you are, it is very hard to take on the rigors of being an entrepreneur alone. Find a strong team and utilize all of your resource that are available for your support. What are some good resources that you like to tap into when your business is pushing you to the max?
John Kreklow is a brand consultant at Shadow Concepts LLC and has found his niche comparing sports and business with his background from the air force and D1 basketball.
