Is your bracket busted already? Buzzer beaters and lucky heaters make for great headlines and highlight reels.

I remember it clearly—I had just welcomed my second child into the world. My family was growing, and so were the pressures around me. Career-wise, I was wrapping up a career changing project that had me in airplanes more days than not and I wasn’t sure what was next. I felt stuck. I was grinding every day, but it felt like I wasn’t making the kind of progress I wanted.

At the same time, recruiters were calling. Startups and new ventures dangled shiny opportunities in front of me—paths that looked easier, more exciting, maybe even more lucrative. My mind was a battlefield of doubt, questioning whether the long, difficult path I was on was really the right one.

And then I found myself sitting at the NFL Hall of Fame induction of Brian Dawkins—my favorite Philadelphia Eagle of all time.

At that moment, feeling overwhelmed and uncertain, Dawkins delivered a line in his speech that hit me like a freight train:

“The majority of success I have had has come on the back end of pain. Pain has pushed me to levels unknown. For me at the time, all I knew was pain, but on the other side of it, all of a sudden, I became better in an area.”

That was it. That was the answer.

Pain and Progress Are Always Connected

Success, growth, and breakthrough moments aren’t found in shortcuts. They happen on the back end of struggle.

We all face pain.

We all hit roadblocks.

We all feel the weight of uncertainty.

For some, it’s personal—balancing family, relationships, or health. For others, it’s professional—navigating career decisions, difficult projects, or leadership challenges.

Pain comes in different forms:
➡ Stressful days where you feel like you’re failing your team.
➡ Hard conversations that make you question your ability.
➡ Unexpected setbacks that make you wonder if it’s all worth it.

But here’s the truth: action is the antidote to anxiety.

The only way up the next peak is through the valley.

One Step at a Time

That speech was in 2018. From that moment until now, I’ve had plenty of new valleys—moments where I questioned myself, where progress felt impossible, where I wondered if all the effort was worth it.

The power of perspective is this: when we take a step back, we realize that every valley had a purpose. The struggles forced growth. The obstacles built resilience. The moments of doubt sharpened clarity.

Persistence wasn’t just needed that day in 2018—it’s been needed every day since.

And guess what? There were plenty of moments where I wanted to quit. The doubts, the stress, the long nights of questioning everything. But every time, I came back to one simple truth:

✔ Get clear on the goal.
✔ Map out the plan.
✔ Then forget the goal and focus on the next step in front of you.

That’s it. That’s the playbook.

The Challenge

Whether it’s personal or professional, whether you’re leading a new project or re-starting a failed one; coaching your kids or overcoming a financial setback; going for a promotion or launching something new — remind yourself of the goal, get clear on the plan, and take it one step at a time.

It won’t be easy. It never is. But that’s the price of growth.

Persistence and determination are omnipotent.

Keep rising,
BJ