On May 28, I broke my elbow on the first day of the Coach K Fantasy Basketball Camp. One week later I had surgery to reattach my triceps tendon. I will go back to UVA Health in a month for my final check-up; to remove the cumbersome hinged brace I’ve been wearing, and will begin 4-6 weeks of PT.
I’ve given two keynotes since my injury (the first one, pictured, was 72 hours after surgery!) and have several lined up for July and August (including a HUGE event in Macau, China!).
While none of this has been convenient, ideal, or preferred… it has been an extraordinary learning experience.
I’m grateful that I realized immediately that no amount of whining, complaining, moaning, or self-pity would change my situation, so the foundation of my mindset has been ACCEPTANCE.
And let’s be real… I don’t have cancer, a heart issue, a neck/spine injury, or any other serious, permanently life altering condition. My injury wasn’t even the worst injury at the camp (two guys tore their ACL’s, two ruptured their Achilles, and one suffered a horrendous compound fracture in his lower leg).
So, the next pillar of my mindset has been GRATITUDE.
However, with that said, I’m not minimizing this either. This is my first broken bone, first surgery, and first major injury (and I’ve been playing basketball for 45 years!). It’s also the first time something has massively disrupted my routine (those that know me know I love my routines!), first time something has affected my ability to perform mundane daily tasks (sleeping, bathing, driving, typing, writing, etc.), as well as the first time something has interrupted my ability to work out for an extended period of time (I kid you not, I have not missed a full week lifting weights since I was 15!).
Therefore, the next level up of my mindset has been my PERSPECTIVE.
Acceptance, gratitude, and perspective are cornerstones to the concept of “Next Play.”
I never allow myself to stay stuck in a spiral of despair. I consistently choose a response that moves me forward.
Peter Crone often says, “Life will present us with people and circumstances to show us where we are not free.”
Thus, I have viewed this entire experience as a test!
Here are 5 perspectives I’ve used to help me pass my test:
#1: I didn’t ask, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ Instead, I continually ask, ‘What I can learn from this? How can I use this? What can I gain from this?’
#2: I stay focused on today. I stay focused on now. I stay focused on the present. I don’t focus on tomorrow or next week or next month… or what I will or won’t be able to do by certain dates. I stay solely focused on What’s Important Now? (W.I.N.).
#3: If it doesn’t serve me, I don’t say it out loud. I don’t control my thoughts, but I do control whether I ‘listen to them’ and if I speak them into existence. Thoughts like, ‘This sucks!’ or ‘This is hard!’ are normal and certainly understandable. But I don’t give them power by vocalizing them. I do not say them out loud (or complain).
#4: I stay focused on doing the best I can, with what I have, wherever I am. I do not compare myself to what I was able to do before my injury or under ideal circumstances. I also make time to celebrate small wins (like every Monday my hinge brace allows for 10 more degrees of flexion and range of motion).
#5: I remind myself daily that “I can do hard things.” (thanks Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe!)
These 5 perspectives have given me unshakeable confidence and optimism to keep moving to the NEXT PLAY!
Which not coincidentally, I have a new book and keynote dropping in November called “Next Play: How to Focus on What Matters Most and Improve Performance, Productivity, & Fulfillment.”
I’ll use several stories from this experience on stage and on page!!
