The Tailgate: Everything Before the Game Is the Game

This week, I’ve been all over, but I’ve been really looking forward to Friday when I fly to the University of Nebraska with Kim and our oldest son, Gideon. I am so proud of him. He’s built a resume of excellent grades, club leadership and volunteering throughout his four years of high school.

Gideon begins college in the fall. This weekend, there is an accepted students and parents Tailgate in Lincoln. They’re getting all of us ready for this next stage, preparing us for the next big game.

As a confession, I’ve never really bothered with tailgates. I prefer to eat at a restaurant and then get into the stadium and do my own thing. 

I’ve been so focused on the actual game – stats and players, plays and rankings. But, I think I might have been missing out.

The most important stuff doesn’t happen only when the game clock is running. The moments off the field, for the players, coaches and even the fans are just as important. Ultimate outcomes are crafted by what’s happening way before the coin toss.

Everything matters.

Each day. 

Each moment. 

Each decision.

Nothing is a throw away. 

In our lives and businesses, we don’t have a game clock. Instead, we have all sorts of things begging for our attention. Some are big, some are routine, while others seems to pass by without much day to day evaluation. 

This idea is captured really well in the movie Groundhog Day. Charleston’s de facto mayor, Bill Murray, deeply dislikes boring routines and longs for the limelight of bigger things. He’s focused on getting out of Punxsutawney. Instead of moving on to bigger things, life hands him a dramatic loop of the same day over and over again to help him start to realize the value of small moments around him.

While we hopefully never get stuck in a time loop, we do have an opportunity to curate our lives and businesses to appreciate the specialness of each moment. It’s a gift to get to do what we do. 

People trust us, we get to serve them and help make them better. Our team members come alongside us and share meaningful parts of their lives working with us. 

Every day we work to make a dent and there is a reason that dent matters. 

So whether you are looking past the nuance in your work or insisting your group leaves before the game is done to avoid traffic – remember to take a beat, breathe and enjoy the tailgate as much as the whole game. 

Being present is a gift and opportunity. Let’s make the most of it.