My freshman year of college, I was on a full football scholarship at the University of Hawaii. It was my first season back after an ACL tear in almost three years, and I was desperate to get playing time. As a kid, I spent my entire childhood dreaming about making it to this level. Now I was here, but not satisfied. I was so close to accomplishing my goal of being a starter on a Division 1 team. My knee was healthy, my speed was back, and I was quicker than I had ever been.

One day, early in fall camp, I was trying way too hard to make big plays, which altered my focus and caused me to struggle. I’d shake the defender off, be wide open, and then drop the pass. It wasn’t even close. I was attempting to catch the ball with my chest, and the ball would come zipping in then bounce off of my shoulder pads while making a loud “thud” each time. It happened three plays in a row, and I was in shock as I wasn’t known for dropping passes.

The Pep Talk

My head coach, June Jones, pulled me to the side and gave me a pep talk I’ll never forget. He said, “Jason, one snap… and clear. It doesn’t matter if you catch a touchdown or drop a pass… one snap and clear. You have to have short-term memory; you have to be able to move on to the next play.”

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. “One snap and clear” wasn’t just advice for football—it was a life lesson. It was about resilience, about not letting one mistake or one success define your next move. It’s about the ability to reset, refocus, and move forward, regardless of what just happened.

Applying The Lesson

Fast forward to the early days in my sales career, this advice became pivotal. As a sales rep, I’d wind up losing a deal I thought I was going to win, and it would feel like dropping a touchdown pass. But I couldn’t mourn the failure. It was critical that I move on to the next play. My organization depended on it, and so did my family. My wife was a stay-at-home mom, counting on me to provide. I couldn’t afford to dwell on losses or get complacent with wins. I had to reset and refocus every single day.

Sales is a demanding profession. One that requires short-term memory, just like sports. One month you can be 180% to your number, feeling like you’re on top of the world. And the next month, for some reason, you can’t close a freakin’ window. The beauty is, as long as there is time on the clock, you’re in the game. You can’t get too high, or too low—you have to find a way to be neutral. One snap… and clear.

In life, we often find ourselves stuck on our past mistakes or resting on our wins, letting them dictate our future actions. Research shows that dwelling on past mistakes can significantly impact future performance and mental health. According to a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, individuals who ruminate on past failures are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, which can hinder their ability to perform well in future tasks.

I’m not suggesting you don’t celebrate your wins or acknowledge a loss. We’re humans. Experience the emotion that comes with winning and losing, however, don’t dwell. Moving on SWIFTLY is critical; your next play DEPENDS on it.

Strategies For Moving On

1. Acknowledge and Accept: Acknowledge your mistake or success. Accept that it happened, but don’t let it define your next move. Allow yourself a brief moment to process the emotion, then consciously decide to move forward.
2. Set Short-Term Goals: Focus on what you can control next. Set immediate, achievable goals to shift your attention from past events to future actions.
3. Mindfulness and Meditation: Practices like mindfulness and meditation can help you stay present and reduce rumination. Studies have shown that mindfulness can improve focus and resilience, helping you to move past setbacks more effectively.
4. Seek Feedback and Learn: Use past experiences as learning opportunities. Seek constructive feedback, understand what went wrong or right, and apply those lessons moving forward.
5. Stay Active: Physical activity can be a great way to reset your mind. Exercise releases endorphins that improve your mood and can help you refocus.

How About You?

• What “plays” are you replaying in your mind?
• Are you holding onto past mistakes or successes, letting them slow you down?

Let’s explore strategies and implement steps that will help you reset, refocus, and move forward with resilience, no matter what life throws your way.

Book a 30-minute call with me here and let’s make it happen!