Pre-Game On

A message from Steve...

 I was so grateful for the opportunity to work with the Buffalo Bills when they were in Chicago a few weeks ago before their pre-season game with the Bears, and the Game On team and I were so thankful for the subsequent publicity from the Hard Knocks episode on HBO.

With that said, what didn't get featured is the pre-game routine, which is so important for me to be centered, feel grounded, and get focused on what matters most. And to get there, I took a walk. During that journey, I visualized the session and played out each exercise in my mind, while listening to worship music and praying along the way.

This particular walk was extra special because it took place in one of my favorite cities in the world. This is a place I know well from my time at Northwestern University, just north of the city. This is where I lived for three years after college. This intentional time, in and around beautiful and familiar Grant Park in downtown Chicago, was exactly what I needed to get
my... Pre-Game On. 

As leaders, teachers, coaches, presenters, what is that pre-game plan that allows you to be centered, feel grounded, and get focused on what matters most? What’s the routine, an action step, that play you can run consistently and on the daily, whether you’re in beautiful Grant Park, on the road, or at home? To find that route, the Game On team uses a simple and useful framework that we hope will help you along the way.

We call it “REST, FUEL, MOVE”:

REST: Make sure you’re getting ample sleep... but also make sure you’re finding time to take a step back, pause, and reset. 
FUEL: Make sure you’re eating well... but also make sure you’re reading, watching and listening to things that fill your soul.
MOVE: Make sure you’re finding time for some physical activity... but also make sure you’re able to focus on what moves you, and more importantly, focus on the importance of moving and positively impacting others.

These pre-game movements, these steps, these walkabouts usually don’t make headlines, they rarely go viral, and they certainly don’t make the HBO segment. But if we can focus on what matters most, we can get in the right mindset, and get out of our own way, so we can all get our... Pre-Game On.

Rest On. Fuel On. Move On. Game On.