The 4th Quarter Pep Talk - Win your SuperBowl

 

We might have entered 2025 with bold goals, big dreams, and a clear game plan. Now, as we approach the final quarter of the year, reality might look a little different. Some of us may have lost a bit of momentum, been blindsided by an unexpected “black swan” event, or simply found that the energy we started with has begun to fade.

This is the moment to regroup, refocus, and reignite our drive—so that the enthusiasm we had in January carries us all the way to December, no matter what curveballs 2025 throws our way.

M. Scott Peck begins his best-selling book The Road Less Traveled with the words: “Life is difficult.” We’ve all faced difficulties, setbacks, and so-called “failures.” But perhaps the most powerful shift we can make is to stop labeling them as failures at all.

As Jim Collins reminds us, life’s unfairness works both ways—sometimes to our advantage, sometimes against us. Some events defy explanation. Our only real option is to roll up our sleeves and take the next step.

Here are seven principles—built from the word FAILURE—that can help us keep going strong for the rest of 2025.

F – Fail Forward

John Maxwell’s Failing Forward makes it clear: what separates successful people is not the absence of failure but how they respond to it. IBM’s Thomas J. Watson famously said: “If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”

In 2025, with rapid changes in AI, global markets, and workplace dynamics, the pace of failure—and learning—has accelerated. The best leaders adapt quickly, embrace uncertainty, and treat obstacles not as obstructions but as instructions.

Jim Collins and Morten Hansen’s Great by Choice found that “10X leaders” share three traits: fanatic discipline, empirical creativity, and productive paranoia. In uncertain times, discipline keeps us anchored, creativity helps us pivot, and paranoia keeps us scanning the horizon for change.

A – Accept Reality

Max De Pree said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” That doesn’t mean giving up on vision—it means holding vision and reality in both hands.

The Stockdale Paradox, which Jim Collins highlights in Good to Great, reminds us to confront the brutal facts while never losing faith in the ultimate outcome. In 2025's volatile landscape—whether it’s inflation shocks, tech disruptions, or sudden policy shifts—accepting reality quickly helps us adapt without losing our long-term belief in success.

You can’t start over from scratch, but you can start now and create a brand-new ending.

I – Improve

In the words of Arnold J. Toynbee: “Nothing fails like success.” The strategies that worked for yesterday’s challenges may not work for today’s.

2025 is a year where the half-life of skills is shrinking. AI-driven workplaces, hybrid work demands, and shifting customer expectations require continuous improvement. Follow Steve Jobs’ “learning machine” mindset. Stay curious. Read widely. Take courses. Challenge your own best practices.

The greatest threat to your future success is your present comfort zone.

L – Long Haul

Success in 2025 is still a marathon, not a sprint. Whether it’s building a career, a business, or a skill, the 10,000-hour rule still applies.

This year, global uncertainty is testing patience like never before. The leaders and professionals who will come out ahead are those willing to play the long game, fueled by daily habits, resilient routines, and a clear mental picture of their ultimate goal.

As Beverly Sills said: “There is no shortcut to any place worth going.”

U – Understanding

Purpose gives perseverance its fuel. In a year where career transitions, economic headwinds, and technological shifts are creating uncertainty, defining your “life sentence”—what you want to be remembered for—can keep you anchored.

Set goals in every dimension: career, financial, personal, and family. In 2025, success is no longer just about metrics—it’s about meaning. Let desire, as Glen Cunningham showed, drive you through obstacles that would stop others.

R – Reinvent

Reinvention is the most powerful antidote to failure. Victor Frankl’s reminder still holds: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude.”

2025 is a year of reinvention for many—industries are being reshaped by AI, sustainability goals, and shifting demographics. Reinvention isn’t just a reactive choice; it’s a proactive strategy. Whether you’re pivoting your business model, upgrading your skills, or reimagining your career, treat reinvention as a muscle to be exercised regularly.

E – Energy

Resilience in 2025 will depend as much on energy management as on time management. Physical and mental energy are non-negotiable for high performance.

Maintain your health with regular movement, balanced nutrition, and sleep discipline. Keep your mind sharp with positive content, uplifting networks, and creative outlets. The more energy you have, the more adaptable you are when plans change.

As Mark Cuban says in How to Win at the Sport of Business:

“It doesn’t matter how many times you fail… All that matters in business is that you get it right once. Then everyone can tell you how lucky you are.”

The rest of 2025 is still unwritten. Whatever the setbacks so far, we can always come back—and win.

2025 CALL TO ACTION

Here are three quick momentum-boosters you can act on immediately to finish the year strong:

* Secure a Quick Win: What’s one small, achievable goal you can knock out this week? Completing it will build confidence and create momentum.

* Book Your 'Re-alignment': Schedule a 90-minute session with yourself to review your initial 2025 goals. What's working? What needs to be adjusted? Create a simple plan for the next 90 days. This is what Adam Grant calls life audit.

* Connect with a Peer: Reach out to a trusted mentor, colleague, or friend. Share a recent challenge and ask for their perspective. A fresh pair of eyes can provide a game-changing insight.

Thanks for reading this post. The views expressed are my own and do not represent my organization.