Limitless Monday – Life lessons from English soccer and the media

We can learn a valuable life lesson from the media, as demonstrated by the English soccer team’s recent experiences.

As you may or may not know, England has been playing in the European Cup where the best international teams in Europe compete, similar to America’s Copa Cup.

The first two English games of the competition ended in a draw and a marginal win against Serbia, a lowly ranked side. Those results caused a barrage of abuse from the English press, soccer pundits, and fans alike. The general feeling among these onlookers was that the English manager, an ex-England player himself named Gareth Southgate, had no idea about tactics and was in essence a waste of space. The English fans also joined in with the derision throwing beer on the English team and hurling abuse.

Despite the harsh criticism, the team made it to the top of their division. That’s when the derision took a turn to the more positive. And then England reached the quarters, and next the semis. As the team progressed, Southgate went from being an incompetent pariah to being the English hero, which was solidified when England reached the final.

This article isn’t a history lesson on English soccer; it’s an example of how we should never listen to critics. Firstly very few, if any, people know what they are talking about when offering their opinion on others. It is hard to gain a perspective on anything unless you are in the game. Ex-players and managers do have some input to offer, but their input should always be taken with caution.

A few years ago, I hired an in-house lawyer. She would become annoyed when I didn’t take her advice. “What was the point of having a lawyer,” she would exclaim, “when you don’t take my advice!” She missed the point.

We get to choose which advice/input we take. Perhaps we take none of it; maybe we incorporate some of it. The final decision should be made by us without fear of criticism or failure. For we are in the best place to make that decision, and it is our balls on the line.

Another niggle I have with the sporting world in particular is the mentality that winning isn’t good enough. They want entertainment. The boxer Floyd Mayweather, probably one of the greatest boxers of all time, was often criticized for being too defensive.

Firstly, it is not the critics jaw and brain on the line, and secondly, it is not their record or legacy at risk. It is the boxer who ‘mixes it up’ to provide the crowd with a show who is likely to have a short shelf life. The fans quickly move on when they lose. There are plenty more willing competitors to take their spot. The winner is the one who fights for the win and doesn’t care how he does it. Winning is all that matters to him. We rarely remember the heroic loser; it’s the name on the cup or the belt that matters.

There are a number of life lessons we can gain from all this. Firstly, winning is the key, not taking second and being the heroic loser.

Secondly, take your own counsel. Commentators, so called experts, lawyers, consultants, friends, and family should all be ignored when making your final decision. By all means consider their input, but it’s your decision to make.

Following on from ignoring commentators the third lesson is: ignore the media. Become accustomed to disregarding articles that have an attention-grabbing headline and opinion pieces.

To demonstrate the absurdity of journalists. A few years ago a well known billionaire was going through some financial difficulties. He lost a lot of money, a few of his businesses had to close, and he was down to his last $200 million. The journalist reveled in the ex-billionaire’s apparent failure, explaining that the cell phone tycoon had started his career as an accountant. “I bet he wishes that he hadn’t left that profession” he concluded.

Remember, most people who offer their opinions are often resentful of the success of others, have achieved very little in their own lives, and have never taken a significant risk. Are these the kind of people you should be taking guidance from?

Gareth Southgate stood tall, he ignored his critics, and continued with his strategy. And guess what? His critics are desperate for him to stay on as the English manager. Of course, Southgate will make that decision independently, unaffected by the mood of the fickle English fans and the commentators who a few short weeks ago were calling for his dismissal.

Today, make a decision to ignore your critics. Remember, everything is possible. Everything! The reason why people like Gareth Southgate, Novak Djokovic, and Floyd Mayweather achieved greatness was through belief, going against the grain, and sheer hard work. Today, block out the noise and shoot for the stars. As I liked to say in my stockbroking days… strap on your spacesuit, this baby is headed to the moon!

Happy Monday!

Banner Image: Soccer. Image Credit – Ruben Leija

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