Take A Chance

Recently, I was speaking with an ex-Clemson football player who played for the Tigers many years ago.

We were chatting about the National Championship game. Going into the game, none of the experts were giving Clemson much of a chance. I asked this former player if he would prefer to lose a close semi-final game or get blown out in the championship game, and I was surprised by his answer.

He said his coach used to tell the team that if you give it everything you have and you fail, you will have one night of bad sleep. But if you don’t give it everything you have and fail, you will think about it for the rest of your life.

We talked a little longer and went our separate ways, but I kept thinking of that coach’s message.

It really doesn’t matter the domain…work, relationships, school…there are going to be times when your best isn’t good enough to get the outcome you want. It’s not fun and it hurts.

Maybe success was out of your control, maybe it was in your control, but you failed to execute properly. In the end, what separates good from great is how you will respond when this happens.

Do you give up? Do you never try again? Or do you dust yourself off and dive right back into your career, your friendships, your studies? To be great you have to make a choice to take another chance, otherwise nothing changes.

The pain of trying and failing is intense, but it’s like ripping off a band aid. It’s over fairly quickly.

The pain and regret of not trying is less intense but lasts much longer. It’s like a scab you keep busting open over and over again.

Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. Take a chance and dare to be great!

Until next time…we are Advoco, make every minute count.

About Dale: As our Executive Director of Human Resources, Dale is the powerhouse behind helping our team grow. He graduated from USC-Upstate (but considers himself a Dayton Flyer). He has over twelve years of HR experience in a variety of industries, focused primarily on talent acquisition and organizational development. Dale is passionate about challenging himself, and when he’s not in the office, he’s training for his next big race. Each year he picks a different race to compete in. In the past it has been mostly running events, but this year is all about biking, he just completed a 75 mile relay from Asheville, SC to Greenville, SC. Questions? Send Dale an email!