Tackle What's Next
Own Your Story, Stack Wins, and Achieve Your Goals in Business and Life
1. Edition October 2022
224 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
Transform the next chapter of your life into the best one yet
In Tackle What's Next: Own Your Story, Stack Wins, and Achieve Your Goals in Business and Life, NFL veteran and motivational speaker Eric Wood delivers an inspirational and insightful take on how you can prepare for the next big thing in your life. Whether you're riding high or feeling low, the author shows you how to make your "What's next?" into your best yet.
In the book, Wood draws on his own experiences transitioning out of his NFL career and provides you with the tools you need to achieve success in your own circumstances. You'll explore:
* How to pivot between opportunities when life forces you to unexpectedly change direction
* Strategies for closely examining what you're good at, what you're great at, and what you can contribute to the world with your unique combination of gifts and talents
* Ways to adjust your perspective to maintain resilience and toughness in the face of adversity
A can't-miss read for anyone looking for proven and straightforward ways to make the next chapter of their life even more exciting than what's come before, Tackle What's Next is your own personal handbook to achievement, resilience, and success.
By Sean McDermott
Preface: You're Right Where You Need to Be Right Now xv
1 The Pivot Point 1
2 Examine Your Gifts 13
Question 1: What Are You Good at Naturally? 15
Question 2: What Have You Learned to Do Well? 16
Question 3: What Do People Who Love You
Say Your Gifts Are? 17
Question 4: What Are You Resisting? 20
Adversity Is a Gift 23
Key Takeaways 24
3 Choose a Greater Perspective 25
Setback 1: Not Succeeding in Football Until Late in High School 28
Setback 2: My Joe Theismann Leg Break 29
Setback 3: My MCL Injury 33
Setback 4: The Career-Ending Neck Injury 36
Ways to Shift Your Perspective When You're Stuck 38
Key Takeaways 41
4 Create a Vision for Your Future 43
Seeing Past the Moment 46
Contemplate and Write Down Your Thoughts and Feelings 48
Conquering Obstacles in the Way of Envisioning Your Ideal Self 50
Key Takeaways 54
5 Examine Your Core Values 57
Finding Your Core Values 58
Getting Back into Alignment with Your Core Values 60
Seeking Others Who Model Core Values You Want 61
Define Your Hard Boundaries 63
Once You Have Your Core Values, Write Them Down 64
Design Your Life and Schedule Based on Your Core Values 67
Having the Courage to Reach Out 68
Key Takeaways 70
6 Focus On Your Health 71
Your Unique Health Focus Requires Vision and Perspective 72
Early Health Sacrifices in My Football Career 73
After Football: Getting My Long-Term Health Back on Track 74
Developing New Habits 75
Dealing with Traumatic Brain Injury 76
The Three Pillars of Recovery 77
Key Takeaways 84
7 Get into a Routine That Sets You Up for Success 87
The Built-In Routine of the NFL 90
The Struggle of Finding a New Routine 92
High Performers Have Similar Routines for Success 93
The New Routine That Works for Me 94
Intentionality: You Get to Decide How Your Day Will Go 97
Gratitude Changes Everything 98
Intentionality the Night Before Can Enhance Your Whole Next Day 101
Become a Super-Learner 102
Habit Stacking 103
Key Takeaways 104
8 Starting Your Day with Wins and Building Momentum 107
How Small Wins Add to Your Momentum 108
Building Confidence Through Wins 109
How Morning Wins Can Help You Mitigate Small Setbacks 111
Remembering Big Wins Can Get You Through Significant Setbacks 112
Gaining Momentum from Wins Requires Accountability 113
Boundaries and Systems: Built-In Accountability for Wins 115
Maintaining Unstoppable Momentum Part 1: Daily Process 117
Maintaining Unstoppable Momentum Part 2: Support System 118
Maintaining Unstoppable Momentum Part 3: Removing Distractions 120
Standards over Feelings 121
Don't Let Positive Momentum Seduce You (Keep Doing the Thing!) 122
Overcoming Negative Momentum 123
Growing Your Confidence and Process Goals 125
Looking Back at How Far You've Come 125
Key Takeaways 126
9 Serve Others 129
How I Came to Adopt a Serving Others Mentality 130
My Challenges with Serving Others After My Pivot Point 131
The Long-Term Benefits of Generosity and Serving Others 132
The Unexpected Benefits of Serving Even When You Are at a Pivot Point 136
Finding Ways to Serve in All the Buckets of Your Life 137
Internal Challenges of a Serving Mentality 139
Servant Leadership 140
Key Takeaways 143
10 Fill Your Mind with What You Want to Show Up in Your Life 145
The Sea of Thoughts 146
Self-Limiting Beliefs 146
The Power of Media 149
The Power of Choosing Your Thoughts 150
How I Filled My Mind in College Football 153
How I Filled My Mind in the NFL 154
How to Start Filling Your Mind Intentionally 155
Don't Limit Yourself 157
Key Takeaways 158
11 Examine the People You Are Spending the Most Time With 161
The Profound Influence of the People You Spend the Most Time With 162
Your Profound Influence on Others 164
Spend Time with People You Can Learn From 166
Find Groups to Learn from Others at an Advanced Level 169
Moving On and Letting Go 173
Key Takeaways 173
12 Be Coachable 175
First, Be Accountable 175
Be Willing to Be Uncomfortable 179
Practice Humility and Confidence at the Same Time 181
Hold Yourself to a Higher Standard by Seeking Coaching 182
Push Your Limits 184
Pivot and Be Flexible 186
The Best Coaching Is Ongoing 188
Key Takeaways 189
13 Control What You Can Control 191
Intentionality and Self-Discipline: How Badly Do You Want It? 193
Consistency Comes from Preparation 195
Be a Champion for Your High Standards of Performance 197
With Great Preparation Comes Great Confidence 198
Key Takeaways 201
About the Author 203
Index 205
