In case you haven’t heard, it is Super Bowl Weekend, and, once again the New England Patriots coached by Bill Belichick and quarterbacked by Tom Brady will be representing the American Football Conference. It will be the 9th time since 2001 that the Belichick/Brady duo has made it to the SB. Love them or hate them, it is a remarkable record of success and stability.
On To (The Next Opponent)
There are many reasons for Coach Belichick’s long string of success, but one of them is that he is always looking ahead and not backward. Belichick is famous for his post-game press conferences, which are short on emotion. During these press conferences, he is asked about his team’s performance. Win or lose, Belichick answers this question by saying, “We’re on to (whoever the next opponent is).” If they just played Buffalo and are playing Miami next, at the post-Buffalo press conference, Belichick will say, “We’re on to Miami.” He is telling the press that he and his team are focused on the future, not the past. The game that just finished is just that, finished. There is nothing he or his team can do about the game that is over. They can watch film and learn from it, of course, but the focus needs to be 100% on how to beat the next opponent.
Resilient
Reporters and fans marvel at how resilient the Patriots have been over the years, and this “On to the next opponent” mentality is precisely why. The same applies to every other endeavor that anyone undertakes, including and especially investing and financial planning. Perhaps you have made mistakes in the past. Perhaps the markets are more volatile now than they have been in some time. Maybe you got burned in the process. There may have been some personal issues that you have had to deal with that set you back financially. Regardless, at the end of a day on a random Wednesday, if you have your own personal Post-Game Press Conference, you should tell the invisible reporters there that you are On to Thursday. Then, when you wake up Thursday morning, you should be raring to go with the past squarely in the rearview mirror. This is how you build your own resilience. This is how you build optimism and the feeling that you are under control of your own life.
Pick
Who is going to win the Super Bowl? As much as I want the Rams to win, the Patriots look like they have really gotten their act together especially with their running game during the playoffs. So I think the Pats will win. Will they cover? The Patriots are currently favored by 3 points. In their 5 previous Super Bowl victories, their margins of victory have been 3, 3, 3, 4, and 6 points in overtime. So, Patriot Super Bowls are close games. If the spread moves below 3, even to 2.5, then I like the Pats. If it moves above 3, then I like the Rams to cover. I think it will be that close – a 3 point game, which will be fun for the viewers.