This weekend when the final ticks of the second quarter game clock fade and over 100 million people are watching Super Bowl XLVIII on their high-def flat screens, most of us won’t be thinking about what will happen next in the Denver Bronco and Seattle Seahawk locker rooms. We’ll be watching the endless stream of multi-million dollar commercials and hopefully a decent half-time show. But maybe, there will be a miracle happening in the locker rooms.

LockerRoom1Interestingly, the NFL highest-scoring second-half teams of the 2013 season are the Denver Broncos with an average of 26.8 points and the Seattle Seahawks with 17.8 average. Is it coincidental they are the Super Bowl contenders?

We’ve all witnessed a team return from halftime now jacked up beyond all recognition. Suddenly that team that couldn’t put any points on the board in the first two quarters is now a scoring machine. Could this dramatic alteration of energy and execution be the result of an amazing miracle of coaching or the manifestation of some bold speech delivered by an emotional leader? Maybe it’s some combination of both along with other less tangible factors.

The reality of this weekend, Coaches John Fox and Pete Carroll will have a bit more than double the normal 12 minutes between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. With the walk to and from the field chewing up some of the time, the Super Bowl game actually will have a 31 minute halftime. Of course toilets will be flushing, ankles will be taped, energy drinks will be gulped, Ibuprofen or stronger will be popped, torn jerseys will be changed and more. Offensive and defensive coaches will huddle with their players. An influential player may give a pep talk. And no halftime is complete without short motivational speeches by Fox and Carroll to their respective teams.

LockerRoom2For the most part, only slight variations in the game plan can realistically be made. An entire two weeks worth of prep cannot just be thrown away or replaced. But somehow it seems like miracles are created in those few minutes of down time between halves. Energized, recharged and ready for battle, the teams charge the field. Final outcome? Unknown.

My point is, halftime matters! It matters in our lives as well. Honest reflection on what was effective and what was ineffective in the first half are both important. Looking ahead is vital. Adjustments to the game plan are crucial. I’m grateful for a friend like Lloyd Reeb of the Halftime organization that has helped me immensely while in the locker room catching my breath. I’m blessed with my own personal board of directors—a group of peers whom I’ve met with nearly every single week for the last 18 years. I’m thankful for my wife who has encouraged me and helped me to see both my strengths and my weaknesses.

The miracles that happen in the locker room at half time are rarely about one person, one speech or one new game-changing idea. Those second-half miracles are about intentionally understanding your 3 C’s: Core, Capacity and Context; knowing what drives your life, grasping your purpose and developing a clear personal mission statement. All of these I’ve written about before at the above respective links.

What steps have you taken recently to get off the field regularly to rest, reflect and refocus for the second half? There are no lack of resources to get started. The truth is this. If you are going full speed for all four quarters, you will totally miss the miracle in the locker room, and likely, the trophy at the end of the game.

 

QUESTION: What have you recently learned about yourself in the locker room? Share it in the comment section below.

 

 

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