There are few things in sports as dramatic as a goal line stand in football. This is where the defense is standing on or near (sometimes behind) the goal line, with their backs literally against the wall. The opposing offense is a few feet—or even inches—away from scoring. Everything hinges on one human factor: Desire.

There is little or no room to let up. No room for weakness. No time for doubt or fear. It comes down to which side wants it more. And in football—just as in life—it is a game of inches. The ball is snapped, the two forces collide, and…

Does this scenario sound anything like your home business? Have you ever found yourself just inches from the goal, with only one last push left to get you to the “Promised Land” of success?

Or have you ever found yourself defending the goal…your goal? Standing in the end zone with almost all of the remaining field in front of you where one misstep will spell failure, or worse, losing. Where you cannot afford to be weak, feeble or unsure. Where the true depth of your inner strength will be tested, as if the furthest recesses of your will are screaming, “How bad do you want it?”

Have you ever been there?

It happens in business, just like it does in sports. Sometimes we are faced with strong adversity and obstacles that seem to pop up at the most inopportune times. It is almost as if being an entrepreneur is like playing in the biggest game there is—the game of Success, and the game of Freedom.

If you are a home business owner, chances are you have seen your fair share of frustrations and adversity. But sometimes there comes that one, really big test. The kind that stares you down and challenges your desire to succeed. The type that would make even the most seasoned Pro crumble under the pressure.

For some it may be closing a huge prospect. For others it may be making your first sale. Other people may make their goal line stand when they first pick up the phone to call a potential business partner. And for a few, it may be a long drought where one more sale could mean the difference between staying in business and getting tossed into the streets.

It is times like these that having ice water running through your veins is crucial to not succumbing to the pressure. To be successful in a goal line stand you have to be focused on one thing: Winning. Any thought of losing will only soften your stand, cause you to break when you could have bent, and lose your resolve in the last moment of effort. When a strong defense digs in to prevent the score, they are concerned only about pushing the offense backward, and taking yardage away from the offense.

To drive forward and gain that extra push, you have got to stay focused on what is ahead of you, where you want to go. Even a slight pause of reflection on the ground you are defending behind you will rob you of your resolve to grind out that last crucial inch. Fear of loss can only be overpowered by the enthusiasm for victory. For the offense to punch it in for the score, they have to know where the goal line is, find the gaps in the defense, and keep pushing until the ball is in the end zone.

And finally, and most importantly, you must call upon your faith in yourself and the encouragement of your team and support system. Ever wonder why you see a team waving their arms in an upward motion to the crowd? They do it to incite noise and energy from their rabid fans. This support translates immediately and directly into extra (and sometimes extraordinary) effort on the field of play.

So the next time you feel as if a lack of results in your business has you backed into a corner, remember the goal line stand.

Command yourself to only focus on the goals for which are striving, and ignore the adversity that is trying to knock you backwards. Use the pressure of having little room for error to tighten your focus and steel your resolve. And look to your circle of influence to bolster you and cheer you to victory. It will tap the unrealized power that you hold inside you every single day.

Keep Kicking Ass!
~JT