Burying the Football

Sometimes we can learn from our mistakes; and other times we just need to flush them and move on. 

In Michael Norton’s book The Ritual Effect he tells a story about the 2001 New England Patriots.

After a tough loss to the Miami Dolphins, Patriots players arrived at their practice field to find a large hole in the ground. Coach Bill Belichick was standing next to the hole, with a shovel and the ball from the losing game. He tossed the ball into the hole and began covering it with dirt. 

“That game is over,” he said turning to the team. “We’re burying it and moving on.“ As the team slowly walked away from the burial site, Tom Brady stomped on the dirt, and muttered under his breath, “It’s over“ And it was. The Patriots turned their 1-3 start to the season into the team’s first Super Bowl championship.

What’s your football that needs to be buried in order for you to move on? And how would you go about burying it?