Shawn Phillips | Start Strong Monday

        The definition of success is as individual as each of us. Yet there’s a common element in the desire to succeed that propels and sustains us through the worst of times. It’s something much, much deeper than the jubilation of victory, the Gatorade bath and fist pumping celebration.

Perhaps it’s a desire to experience a sort of wholeness, in that having achieved our highest dream we are forced to accept–if even for a moment–that we are good enough and deserving of extraordinary success.

At its best it brings a moment of unity with others who have sacrificed and also achieved—for success is like a good meal; best when shared.

It’s the feeling you see in the eyes of Drew Brees holding his young son after winning the Super Bowl–a feeling that words can do not justice.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my years on this joy-ride called life it’s that the principles of success are universal—which is to say what succeeds in business is most often a sound principle for life; what succeeds in sport will usually propel your fitness and business.

The truths are as interchangeable as Lego’s.

After watching a terrific Super Bowl–regardless of who your team was–and listening to the post-game analysis I recognized a few of these timeless, universal principles of success that New Orleans leveraged with tremendous success.

Here are my “Top 5 Lessons for Success from Super Bowl XLIV:”

1. Play to Win

Of course both teams wanted to win that game yesterday—they wanted it badly. But the Saints played to win while I think the Colts played “not to lose.” Well, let me soften that a little—the Colts were just more conservative and I don’t think it served them.

Going for it on 4th and goal, opening the second half with an onside kick—that’s playing to win. And those are just a couple examples. The Saints had long decided that if they lost it wouldn’t be for lack of trying.

In fitness, people who play to win are aiming for something—they are in a Transformation or have committed to an event, have a goal and are on path, “going for it.” The others are doing typical “fitness,” a little of this, a little of that, a day of better eating, a night of indulge and they usually are complaining about not seeing the results.

Playing “not to lose” is getting by, in business or life. “Getting by” is to success as “avoiding bankruptcy” is to living in abundance.

If you’re going to play, play to win.

2. Take Calculated Risks, But Don’t be Risky

This success principle is closely related to “Play to Win” for inherent in playing to win is the need to take chances. And chances the Saints did take. They failed to convert a 4th and goal, but they recovered an onside kick.

Starting your own business is taking chances, getting married is taking chances, having children, buying a home… seeing how much change your body can make in 12 or more weeks, is all about taking chances.

And in almost all cases these may be either a calculated risk or foolishly risky. Starting a business without studying the market, planning, securing the funds, etc. is setting yourself up—it’s foolish. Getting married to someone you’ve invested years in is a calculated risk—getting married on the third date is foolish.

The Saints took risks but in every case it was calculated risk—coach Sean Payton knew the downside and how to react. For instance, on the 4th and goal they ended up getting the ball back and still scored a field goal before half; the same 3 points they’d have had they kicked a field goal rather than gone for it on 4th.

Take ricks, calculated risks but don’t be a fool.

3. Big Plays are Fun but Blocking and Tackling Win Championships

The role of football broadcasters and play-by-play guys is to make the event of sports more entertaining and keep you engaged. Let’s face it, for most people, commentators included, blocking and tackling is boring. We get that it happens every play—some people block and some are tackling.

Got it.

Thus, in an effort to engage and take your attention away from the painfully boring fundamentals, they like to emphasis the extremes, the game on the edges: The amazing athletic plays, the wild trick stuff, the deep passes and long runs are all exciting stuff.

When you listen to it long enough you may even start to believe the very delusions some commentators suffer from—the idea that a game can can be won on big and trick plays alone. And that your fundamentals need only be “good enough” to get by.

When you take a serious, honest look at it you’ll see this doesn’t hold water. It’s simply not true. Some may win a few, some times but you don’t go the distance like that.

In fitness this “edges” game takes the form of diet pills, extreme dieting, extreme programs, exotic “jungle” berries and all sorts of youthifying, muscle-exploding fantastic stories. In business it might be the myth that a company like Google was a fluke accident that defied the rules of business or that a great product will sell itself—one I know all too well.

The truth is that the fundamentals are the only real, common winning formula. You can take different tracks, have different strengths but if you can’t block and tackle none of the tricks or hyper-strengths will matter.

When you accept the truth and get the fundamentals straight, you’ll experience “the domino effect of success,” where results just keep coming faster and with ever greater ease.

Stop looking out for the short-cut secret, instead focus on the fundamentals and watch life bend in your favor.

4. Always “Finish Strong”

The Saints had a motto this season, “Finish Strong.” Even if you’ve only seen them for the last few weeks you can see how powerful this theme was—and how will they served it and it served them.

They were “done” more than once in the NFC championship game, only to come back and win.

But “finish strong” is not just about the game, it’s in everything they do. They finish tackles, the receivers and backs finish runs strong, they finish each half strong. It would not be hard to make a case that in a sport where the difference between the first and worst team is as narrow as any, “finish strong” may be the mental edge that made all the difference.

In sports, sprinters sprint through the line, fighters punch through the target. Each finishes strong. In physical Transformation it’s not at all unusual for 50% of the visual results to come in the last 20% of a Challenge.

In Business “finish strong” is the difference between the nice idea and the new initiative, product or service. It’s something you have to plan for and go in with the end in mind.

For me, being an endlessly creative person, I’m often on to the third new thing before I have the first in process and I know how much more difficult this makes things. Finish strong is a Strength I admire in the most successful people I know and one I aspire to master.

Start all endeavors cautiously, hold great intention and finish strong!

5. Connect to a Reason Larger Than Self

Just as I did in my book, Strength for LIFE, I saved this gem for last. Why? In my book it’s because it’s both the rocket fuel powers and the glue that holds it all together—and I needed to develop trust with the reader before I revealed it, or it can seem too good to be true.

Here it’s last because I’m a Seinfeld fan and always loved the way he’d bring stories full circle, that which he began with would somehow come back around and be resolved at the end.

The photo that opens this story, a moment Drew Brees shares with his son, needs no words to describe. Unless you’ve undergone some sort of special Scarecrow surgery and had your “heart” removed, you’ll feel that one in your bones.

Take a moment to sit with that and feel it. Would you not do just about anything to for the chance to share such a life-moment, to uplift the life of one you love? Now, consider that this game wasn’t won for Drew’s son, as cute as he is, but for a city and people of New Orleans. The look in his eyes is what by all accounts the team feels for the city–and the city for the team; for what they’ve shared and been through.

Winning the Super Bowl wasn’t just a Championship for the Saints, it was the chance to share in a Transformative experience, to uplift a community and offer a bit of healing for the city and our country. Katrina was not only localized disaster—it was a black eye for the US and our ability to support and respond within our own borders. No amount of Superbowl victories will ever wipe it from our memories, but by most accounts this one has hastened the healing.

How can you apply this secret source of endless power to your fitness, business and life? You’ll find some inspired answers in chapter 15 of Strength for LIFEon how to leverage this infinite power.

I can see myself committing an entire article to what is ultimately the greatest source of leverage, energy and motivation a person will ever know. In the meantime, I have confidence that you’ll find some larger, more empowering reasons to achieve whatever it is you’re after.

Find the spark and ignite your flame for yourself, your family, your community, your country, your world.

Don’t delay, we’re all counting on you.

About the Author

Author, innovator and expert in Life Performance for two decades, Shawn Phillips is as respected for his physique as his wisdom. Working with his brother Bill (of Body for LIFE fame) he helped create the performance nutrition giant, EAS. In his 40's, a husband and father of two young children, Shawn has shifted his focus to helping busy, high-achieving men enjoy vibrant, energized, amazing lives! To help more men towards Life @ Full Strength Shawn created the World's First truePremium Nutrition Shake, the clinically proven Full Strength . For a "how to" guide to a Lifestyle of Fitness Freedom, check out Shawn's most recently instant best-selling book from Bantam BooksStrength for LIFE, called by Next-Level in Transformational Fitness, Here.