“I think we’re playing with confidence, but at the same time, we’re not satisfied … It’s business as usual around here. We’ve got to keep going. You look at the standings and there’s not a lot of space (in the Western Conference), so we’ve got to keep winning and staying on this W-train.”
Before the start of the current NHL season, I highlighted a quote from player Brendan Morrison, who is no longer a part of the Vancouver Canucks. He reminded us that, in professional sports, it’s all about “what have you done for me lately.” Current Canuck Ryan Kesler provides today’s quote and it almost approaches the other side of the same coin.
As you may have noticed, the Vancouver Canucks are currently the top team in the league. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen the hometown hockey team sit atop the standings, but it’s good to see that Kesler and the rest of the Vancouver organization are not taking this position for granted. As he says above, they are “playing with confidence,” but they also recognize that success can be fleeting.
Keep Moving Forward, Even with the Lead
Think about how that applies to your daily life, both personally and professionally. Let’s say, for example, that your company has just enjoyed a very successful launch of a new product and you’re sitting on cloud nine. That’s a good feeling to have. You are being rewarded for your hard work and that’s well-deserved. However, you also have to recognize the need to keep working at it if you want to maintain this level of success.
Take nothing for granted. “We’ve got to keep going.” What you achieve today can be easily taken away from you tomorrow. Don’t allow yourself to fall down that slippery slope back to mediocrity.
This may sound like a very simple lesson, but it’s actually quite difficult to implement in real life. How much do you have in your reserve tank? Are you able to continue persevering in the face of success? Can you stay motivated when you’re at the top of the heap?
Go Canucks Go! Go Canucks Go!
I did predict that the Canucks will win the Stanley Cup this year. Let’s hope that Ryan Kesler, Henrik Sedin, Roberto Luongo, and the rest of the Canucks squad are able to maintain the kind of philosophy and mindset described above.
I think both conferences are close, but the Pens, Flyers, Wings and Canucks are the teams to beat right now. Kesler’s quote could be rewritten to say “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”
“Don’t give up” implies that you are coming from behind. It’s a different kind of motivation to “keep going” when you’re ahead. I’m thinking tonight’s loss to the Wild is another one of those gut checks.
I disagree. I’ve seen many people, businesses or teams with a lead just give up and rest on the success they have already had. They then either lose what lead they had, their business or the game.
You need to always keep the pedal to the metal. Don’t ever give up, or you won’t be the winner.