I love my job and I love fantasy football. I’ve been accused of thinking too much. After thinking more about that (pun intended), I discovered how fantasy football has reminded me of some key concepts in both FF and my job.
#1 – You can’t control everything
As humans we often try to control – well everything sometimes 😉 . There are too many variables in our day job, fantasy football, and yes – life – to control. Learn to accept our humble reality is an important key to success. Don’t give in to complacency and seek to manage or control nothing but also don’t flip flop to the other side and try to control everything when you can’t. If you have teenagers you’ll understand what I mean when I say pick your battles and manage the essentials, no more.
#2 – Keep It Simple for Success (KISS)
When I first started fantasy football it was all new to me. A strange an unfamiliar place. Heck I still don’t understand some of those scoring systems and pools and the way people play in various modes with various providers of FF. Over the years I’ve learned that if you over think it you’ll take the fun out of it and you’ll actually hurt yourself. Find a few variables that work, optimize those, and you’ll do good to great. Remember #1, you’ll need a little luck with all those variables.
#3 – Post Game Analysis is Important
Always strive to learn from your success and your mistakes. It’s not all luck! Many times I’ve taken the advice of a friend only to find out that my original gut instinct was right…and after I reviewed it, I could see why. Sometimes you just can’t tell – we are dealing with people in the NFL – but other times it’s a variable where it’s more predictable such as how a quarterback plays in an away game versus a home game. Post-project, post-IR, post-talking with a colleague…all need meditation and review as you work throughout your day.
#4 – Believe in Yourself
After several years of playing FF I developed my own algorithm based off of a few variables that proved to be reliable and consistent for picking sleepers, performers, etc. Several times this last year I went against my automated output only to score lower than if I had trusted it. After about 3 years of doing a new field you become a pro in most fields…so after three years of FF I should have my own approach and the core components of the game mastered. Once I’m experienced and I’ve got it tuned I need to trust it more. This trust was earned through tuning and #3 above over the years, so I must remind myself when I doubt and a big game is on the line!
#5 – Have Fun!
I do think – all the time – a thousand miles an hour. One of the things I love about football is that I just sit back and relax and have a beer with friends. I can over analyze my FF but have learned to just chill. I’ve got my algorithm, my picks, and then I just kick back and enjoy. I’m not tied to watching every point rack up all Sunday on my Yahoo app. I make sure I enjoy that time with my family and friends. Remember to have fun in your work, and take time to chill with your colleagues. Life’s better when you enjoy all of your life and those around you. A toast to my work buds!
Hike!