This past weekend, Walter and I had the chance to attend the Miami Hurricanes football game. The energy was electric. The build-up all week was about USF coming into Miami—ranked, confident, and already with two wins against ranked teams under their belt. The storyline was clear: Miami was in for a battle.
But what struck me most wasn’t just the game itself—it was what Coach Mario Cristobal shared in his post-game review. His words carried a timeless truth for anyone who wants to perform at the highest level:
“We don’t get distracted by what the other team is doing. We focus on executing our game plan.”
That’s it. That’s the magic of high-performing teams.
The Lesson in Peak Performance
The Hurricanes didn’t let the hype, noise, or distractions change their focus. They knew their plan. They trusted their preparation. And when game time came, they executed it with precision.
High performers—whether in sports, business, or life—do the same thing. They don’t waste energy worrying about the competition. They don’t obsess over what’s happening in someone else’s lane. Instead, they concern themselves with one thing: being their very best.
That’s what being a peak performer is all about. You get on your journey, you commit to the process, and you execute at your highest level. Over and over again.
A Word That Stuck With Me
Another subtle but powerful takeaway? The language. The team didn’t say, “We made a mistake.” They called it a “miscue.”
Think about that for a second. A mistake feels heavy, final, almost like a character flaw. A miscue? That’s just a temporary slip—a small moment you can quickly correct.
The difference in language reinforces the difference in mindset. Peak performers don’t beat themselves up. They recalibrate, adjust, and get back to execution.
Your Takeaway
The next time you feel distracted by what others are doing—or you’re tempted to measure your performance by someone else’s scoreboard—remember the Hurricanes’ lesson.
- Know your game plan.
- Block out the noise.
- Execute with relentless focus.
- Reframe mistakes as miscues, and recalibrate.