Ahh…August!  Time for unanswered phone calls, text messages, emails, invoices, er…a…but I digress.

It seems like everything slows down this time of year as we squeeze in the last few cherished days of summer.  Dreadfully close, on the next calendar page in fact, the hectic pace of September lies like a rabid cat stalking a one-legged mouse.  If your business gets a breather this month, instead of waiting for ‘the pounce’, consider the NFL as a model as you prepare for the “Frantic Fall”.

On a recent trip to Westminster to sneak a peak at this year’s version of the beloved Ravens, it suddenly became clear.  While most of the rest of the world is struggling to avoid the summer dog days, these warriors are firing on all cylinders in preparation for Week One.  And it is hot.  Wicked hot.  In some distorted way this prepares them for when it is cold.  Wicked cold.  You know, the time of year when Polar Bears book a cruise to the tropics.  Again…the digress thing.  Sorry.

This is not to suggest that we brandish 60 pounds of protective gear and run laps in the sweltering heat.  Quite the opposite in fact.  In those summer moments when you are not brandishing your usual battle garb, allow your mind to embark on its own “Training Camp”.  Begin to mentally prepare for your own ‘week one’.  Unburdened by the normal to-do lists,  this quiet-time may provide just the setting for some creative thinking about your team, schedule, and playbook.  Think positively about how you’ll take the field when you return to the game.

Now don’t use this time to worry about your opponents: payroll, taxes, bills, etc.  You already know they’ll be there on game day.  Instead, focus on things for which you don’t normally have available ‘creative-mental-time’.  Perhaps you’ll be just a bit more prepared for kick-off.

Finally, visit your ‘Training Camp’ in quiet times during a day at the beach, on the boat, or at the pool.  You don’t want to go past the 5 PM curfew or you’ll have to run laps!

Cheers!