Patriot Act

"We don't talk about records, but everyone else does." - Bill Belichick

The New England Patriots recently slipped below a .500 winning percentage for the first time in several seasons.

One reason that people sustain prolonged success is that they focus on the process, the fundamentals, rather than statistics. Are we preparing, training, working hard and smart and together?

Winning is not altogether a science; no single process works for everyone. But commitment to concentration, refusal to be distracted by the inevitable fluctuation of results in the short-term, is what leads to the best results in the long term.

At the office we're in the planning season, and we've been talking quite a bit about numbers. What are reasonable expectations to achieve? I'd rather see us set goals that we can hit and then raise them over time, than to set targets so high as to pave the way for excuses.

Admittedly, I've caught myself slipping occasionally, fretting over over results that don't matter much in the big picture. More important is to recognize people's strengths and weaknesses, to capitalize on the former and manage the latter. And of course, to recognize that work is not the most important aspect of life, to find ways to enjoy the trip and the personal interests of my teammates.