Knowing Follows Doing
“To know what you’re going to draw, you have to begin drawing.” - Pablo Picasso
Many consider Bill Belichick to be the greatest American football coach of all time. The man knows the game, to say the least. But a big part of his success has come from a recognition of how much he does not know.
Predicting who will be a superstar in the NFL is really, really hard. Many high picks have short careers. Someone picked 199th goes on to win seven Super Bowls.
A classic Belichick strategy in the NFL draft is to "trade down" and give other teams a high pick in exchange for more picks in later rounds. Belichick recognizes that he cannot know for sure who will excel. By seeing more players perform in the preseason, he is more likely to find diamonds in the rough.
I have worked with many people anxious about finding their vocation. We often don’t what to do for the rest of our lives. But we can, and should, try stuff out so we’re in a better position to know.
What seemed like a monumental decision often feels less intimidating after we have gathered some data.
Like Belichick having to cut many of the players he drafts, we, too, will have to close many of the doors we open.
But by getting started and prayerfully reflecting on that experience, we better know how to move forward.