Three Lessons I learned from the 26-20 Minnesota Vikings win over the New Orleans Saints.

I’m a Viking fan. Why, you ask? I was raised in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities and my football team was thrust upon me like a family member. I didn’t really have a choice. Or you might be asking me why in a more incredulous tone. Why would I want to be a fan of a football team that hasn’t gone to a Super Bowl since the seventies, much less won it since 1969? Good question.

I am a fan. For better or for worse. I’m a fan through the incredible catches that filled my poor heart with hope and I’m also a fan when the same team is beat in the next game with barely a whimper. I’ve watched the organization pay big money for stars that have long since waned (think Herschel Walker, Warren Moon, Brett Farve) and I’ve witnessed as they doggedly hung on through tumultuous accusations and misbehaving athletes who seemed to possess the emotional stamina of a three-year-old.

So in yesterday’s game against the Saints, I didn’t really expect them to win. As a fan, I yearned for success but after over thirty years of long-term memory, I would not cry if I didn’t get what I wanted. I went into the game with hope but (I believe) realistic expectations.

I watched every minute of the 26-20 win over the Saints (sometimes peeking behind a cushion) and even though I’ve been around for a while, the Minnesota Vikings taught me three lessons about winning, about the relationship between winning in the moment and getting to place a “W” rather than an “L” in the record books.

Lesson #1: Where you are is not as important as what you do.

You can tell whether your team is playing in the comfort of home or performing in enemy territory. You don’t have to find the name of the team etched in the green of the end zone. It’s in the volume. When you play at home, you hear the swell of the roaring crowd, responding to positive action. It’s a heady feeling to ride the wave of momentum. All the arrows point in the direction of the win when you have the home court advantage.

Equally obvious are the games played away, when you are surrounded by fans who need you to play badly so they can experience their dream. Now the crowd cheers when you stumble, waving wildly when their team moves forward to their goal, coincidentally in the opposite direction of your dream.

Home field advantage is a thing. Of course it is helpful to have thousands of screaming fans wanting exactly what you want. Being able to sleep in your own bed and drive your car to the stadium. You have familiarity on your side, knowledge of the field with it’s the bumps and divots, the power of the lights, where the bathrooms are.

The Vikings have a disheartening record on the road. And yet, with all the advantages the Saints had on their side, there are things that could be influenced by the circumstances. When the quarterback pulls back his elbow to launch the ball downfield, he isn’t actually looking with his eyes, it’s the memory etched in his muscles telling him where to throw the ball, trusting his teammate will be ready. His intuition drove his actions. It was the months in the weightroom and the patterns run in practice and the actual will to win that sent the receiver to sprinting toward the goal-line.

Being surrounded by people who love you and support you can be a bonus. But in the end, it’s the practice, the preparation, the connection and the determination that leads to a win.

Lesson #2: Actions beat predictions.

Experts picked the Saints to win the game. It seemed they were right in the first few plays, wide receiver Adam Theilin fumbled the ball, resulting in a field goal. The Vikings seemed deflated after that, only able to answer with a field goal for themselves. I listened to the announcers speak in knowing tones. The game played on as the experts predicted with storied Saints quarterback Drew Brees slicing through the Vikings defense with ease. Every action was colored with the assumption the Vikings would lose, the cherry on top the fact Kirk Cousins had not been able to win a big game on the road in quite some time.

The announcers described the game in the colors of predictions, highlighting every mistake the Vikings made—which were many— almost celebrating the powerful plays of their opponents. Perhaps if it had been a boxing match, the Saints could have tallied up enough points to muddy the waters but at the end of the day, the Vikings were able to minimize their mistakes and dominate the fourth quarter. A final shot to the heart with a four-yard bullet pass from Cousins to tight end Kyle Rudolph.

You don’t have announcers calling a play-by-play about your day, but there are people in your life weighing in over your choices. Family, friends, colleagues, all with ideas of what will bring you success and what will bring you down. Maybe it’s the voices in your head warning you of the possibilities of failure or updating you with the likelihood of success. It may be a long shot but at the end of it all, it’s your willingness to take the risk and successful execution that will win the opportunity. Not how popular you are.

Lesson #3: Winning and Losing happens in the moment, not the future.

We all like to gloss over mistakes once the game is over. “We kicked their a%$,” Viking fans exclaim on Monday, as they lord it over sad fans from the opposing team. Let me tell you what really happened, if you had been able to sit next to one of the people watching the game, the people hoping the Vikings would win. After the first fumble—“can’t they keep their hands on the ball?” When the purple jerseyed athletes couldn’t convert a fourth down —“I guess they just don’t want it as much.” Or when we were inches from the goal line but couldn’t punch it through—“Kirk Cousins is wildly overpaid and overrated.”

We had lost before and would lose again. This was our fate. To throw away another season. To be the team that never quite makes it to the big dance. Dark—the fate of the team, the fans, the organization.

And while many times it seemed all was lost (I can be quoted as saying, we won’t win in overtime), the Vikings won. Why? Because of what they did when they made a mistake. They just kept going. After the first fumble they continued to block and only allowed a field goal. If their quarterback was sacked, they worked harder to get open. Most impressive to me was the focus and clarity of Cousins who seemed determined to change the tide and pull out a win.

It really is one big game, this daily effort we make to achieve success. Plays are plans and downs are the repeated actions. Sometimes we get the first down and we feel like we are on our way. Other times we can’t seem to make it happen on the fourth down and we have to wait another day. Worst is when we fumble, when we misfire or when we throw it downfield only to find our teammate isn’t ready for us.

Just remember, the game isn’t over until it’s over.

They can’t call it on account of too many mistakes. No matter how dark the horizon may appear, the battle is won and lost right now.

·     Learn from your mistakes.

·     Stay focused on the plan.

·     Don’t lose your optimism.

·     And don’t stop working until the ball is dead.

I don’t know what next week will bring. Perhaps another miracle will come our way, if we manage to beat a very good San Francisco 49rs team led by charismatic Jimmy Garoppolo. The headlines are predicting a loss, claiming the 49ers had a “gold-paved” path to the Super Bowl.

I hope that is not true.

What I do know is the game is not lost yet. There will be a start and a finish. And then headlines with pundits claiming their expertise. But in the between is where success is possible. Personally, I’m pulling for the Purple and Gold.

Go Vikings! Skol.

********************************

Meet Liz Nead

A speaker, coach and television host, Liz Nead is an expert in Bringing Life Back to Everyday Life. Her passion, Nead Inspiration is impacting the lives of thousands with life coaching, magazine articles, public speaking and life improvement television. She directs and hosts an Emmy Nominated television show called Life Dare which aired on Fox five days a week. Life Dare is an “unscripted” show inviting people to learn from experts and take a “challenge” to bring the lesson to life.

She has authored several best selling books, The 1440 Principle: How to stop wasting time and make the most of your life, The 100 Day Journey, Curry Up, an ethnic cookbook, The 180 Life, and 20 Beautiful Women. Her work has been featuredranked on Buzzfeed and reviewed by the Huffington Post. She blogs for Huffington Post and She Knows. Liz is a skilled story-teller and teacher, most recently climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and competing in the Iowa Strongman Games. Whether she is climbing a mountain, flipping 300 pound tires, producing an award winning television, or conducting experiences in her personal life, her audiences learns valuable lessons to build an influential life.

Her clients include the National Guard, the YWCA, University of Phoenix, Society for Human Resource Management, Principal Financial, the Oregon Women's Conference. She also helps speakers from all over the world bring their message to the stage.Elizabeth has a BS in Political Science and an MPA, creating several popular CD's, including Creating Inspired Vision and the Live Big Project.

She also balances her passion-driven career with a busy family life, raising seven kids in a blended family with her husband, a retired Army Major.

You can reach Liz by phone at 515-664-6881 or via e-mail, [email protected]