Be Good in the Red Zone.

In football, we talk about teams that are good inside the “red zone” - the area between the 20-yard line and the end zone. It’s an important concept because many teams are good at getting to the 20-yard line, but then they are not able to score a touchdown. They end up with a field goal more often.

It’s the same thing in life and in business. Many times we drive the ball down the field - we complete most of a project - but we can’t quite finish it.

It could be hitting certain sales numbers at work, it could be landing a new account, it could even be getting a relationship with a loved one to a certain level.

Do you have something like this in your life? What’s holding you back? Here are some tips to help you cover the last 20 yards:

• Ask for help. Who do you know that is good at finishing the same kinds of things you would like to finish? Let that person coach you!

• Try to determine why you need help. Sometimes just asking yourself that question - and coming up with an answer - can make things clearer.

• Determine if you’re really doing everything you can. Are you truly all in, like we discussed last week? Give yourself the “All In” test.

• Is someone else standing in your way? If you think so, you’re probably wrong. When we want something enough, we are capable of getting it no matter what someone else is doing. To accuse is to excuse ourselves for not being truly all in. We have to accept accountability. We have to own it.

• Do you feel deserving of this thing? Often, when we can’t complete something, we’re holding ourselves back because in some way, we feel we’re not worthy of that achievement. Maybe we don’t want to leave a coworker behind, or surpass the level of success of a parent. Sometimes we’re simply scared of taking that new step because we feel like we might not be able to handle the new responsibility that comes with it.