Maya Hayes

A professional athlete I worked with had been a starter his entire career. Then, going into a new season, his coach told him his role was changing. He wasn’t going to play nearly as much. I was inspired by his response to the news. Instead of sulking or feeling sorry for himself, he decided: “If I’m going to have fewer opportunities, I’m going to be more prepared for them.” He spent more time in the weight room. More time watching film. More time sharpening his game. His goal was simple: “Be ready when my name is called.” We didn’t talk again for about a month. When we finally caught up, he told me that every time his number had been called that month, he had delivered. He was proud of that. There’s a lesson here that extends beyond sports. You don’t have complete control of how many opportunities come to you. You don’t control the role you’re given or when you get promoted. But you can control your level of readiness when those opportunities arrive. Rather than focusing on the opportunities you don’t have, identify the ones you do have, and maximize them. As Sun Tzu wrote: “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”