If you are looking for financial investment advice, you are in the wrong place. If you are looking for some key attributes of those most likely to thrive, ones that may help you attain more solid footing than most once the pandemic ends, please read on.

How you view the pandemic will likely be determinative. Some people dwell on all that has been lost and all that continues to be unavailable. Some merely accept that “it is what it is” and go about their lives. Many take their foot off the proverbial gas and chill like it’s an extended vacation, until it looks like it will be over. A select few however, also accept that “it is what it is,” but also look at it as an opportunity to improve their lot in life.

Guess which ones are most likely to be the winners once this Pandemic ends? The select few who look at this as a challenge to be overcome have a distinct advantage over all the rest. They are using their ingenuity to come up with new ways of doing things, many that they would not have had the time, desire or need to come up with had the Pandemic never occurred.

One example of this is a client of mine who was previously resistant to the use of mental reps and skeptical of their value. Now he is using them regularly and already seeing some benefits, which include increased confidence and less wear and tear on his body. He has already told me that mental reps will be a part of his workout regimen going forward.

Additionally, several of my young basketball clients are working on areas of their game that they had not previously put as much focus on. Some are working on ball handling and others on strength and conditioning. While my players are focused on getting better, many of the players they are competing against are using their extra free time to boost their social media accounts. As a result, the ones focused on their social media accounts will likely be passed up on the court when play resumes. We have already seen more drastic shifts in the rankings of high school football players than in years past, and I expect to see a similar results for all the high school basketball players who are taking advantage of this situation as well.

I have always said that the real gains players make are in the off-season and the pandemic is causing us to be in a perpetual off-season. Those who took the time to develop a process orientation prior to the pandemic will reap many rewards that others will miss. Those who were in the habit of working even harder during the off-season will also benefit.

As the great Muhammad Ali said, “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” Are you putting in all the effort you can when no one is watching? If you aren’t, you can be sure the people that end up taking your spot have been.

You can follow Sam on Twitter: @SuperTaoInc

Posted in The Mind Side Blog