Halftime Adjustments: A Life Lesson from Nick Saban

On January 28, 2018 I saw a football game that would stick with me for the rest of my life. The Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide were playing for the College Football National Championship. 77,430 people were on hand that day to watch the 2 best teams in college football collide, and they were not disappointed. The game itself was a lot of fun to watch. Going into halftime, it appeared that Georgia was on the verge of winning a National Championship with a 13-0 lead. Coming out of the locker room for the start of the second half, something unheard of happened. Alabama’s coach Nick Saban made the decision to pull his starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, and replaced him with a true freshman, Tua Tagovailoa. Most of the viewing world was surprised by this change. What happened during the second half of that game was something for the history books. Alabama came back and won by a score of 26-23. I was in disbelief at what had just transpired. It was a good football game, but what intrigued me the most was the decision made by Coach Saban in the locker room during halftime. This game may have just been just that, a football game to most people. But for me, it was an opportunity to learn life lessons from someone who is a master at their craft.

One thing I learned that day is the importance of being able to make the necessary adjustments. When what you are doing is no longer working, changes need to be made. It does not matter how successful you have been up to now, if the right changes are not made at the proper time then you will ultimately fall short of your goal. What really stands out to me the most is the boldness that Coach Saban needed to make the quarterback change when he did. He did it during halftime of a National Championship game. Coach Saban believed in what he was doing. He was not worried about what everyone else would say. In the midst of everything going on, he was able to put his feelings and emotions aside to make a football decision. His concern was not how Jalen was going to feel, but what was the best decision for the team to win a championship. What is it going to take to accomplish the goal that your team and those around you have been striving for? Are you willing to take the necessary risks? Is it better to continue down a path that will lead to defeat or to make a change that will possibly set you up for long term success? 

I learn a lot by listening to and studying the habits of successful individuals. When my life was stagnant and no progress was being made, I had to make adjustments. I began to learn what successful people were doing and it showed me a lot of things that I wasn’t doing. I began the process of making changes. There are a few changes that will take time to fully manifest, but the changes that would serve as my foundation that would launch my life in a new direction were honestly made within a few days. As I began to make adjustments in one area, my eyes were opened and I could clearly see what changes needed to be made in other areas. Making changes in the past has not been the easiest thing in the world for me. There came a day when I said that enough is enough and something had to give. I was tired of just existing and actually wanted to live. I was not going to reach any goals that I had for myself or my family. The ideas and visions in my mind were not manifesting into anything because I was not doing anything with them. The realization hit me that if you continue to do that same thing, you will continue to get the same results. I wanted to take every part of my life to the next level and that’s when I begin to do what needed to be done. I took back control of my time. I stopped making excuses. I took steps in the right direction and never looked back. If you are completely happy where you’re currently at in life, then keep doing what you’re doing. But as with myself, I know that there is a desire within you to get to the next level in some area of your life. Study the habits of successful people and get to that next level. Read one book and apply what you learn. Change can be hard at times, but it is necessary for growth. Making the proper adjustments in your life can be the difference of you experiencing the thrill of victory or once again the agony of defeat. You got this. Make it happen!