"Control the controllables" - Bill Lynch, IU Head Football Coach 2007- 2010

If we are honest with ourselves, there are lots things outside of our control. In business our goals could be thwarted by lack of budget, organizational complications, or various other reasons. In life, illness or incident can seemingly come from nowhere.  

When I first heard Coach Lynch say “Control the controllables”, he was speaking to controlling our response to situations on and off the field. 

On the field, he spoke to our mental approach to variants that were outside our control. For example, the weather on game day was something you could not control. What you could control was your preparation. During the week leading up to the game, we brought out a bucket of water to prepare for what it was going to feel like playing in the rain.

Off the field, he spoke to school work or social situations.  You could not control what your friends were going to do with their free time. What you could control was your physical presence near those teammates. If you needed to physically remove yourself from a situation to control your actions, do it. 

#DeskJockey Action Challenge: If an adverse event happens to you or your project, ask yourself “What can I control do change this situation?” If the answer, is not “nothing” then get to it! If the answer is "nothing", think a little harder. There is probably something you could do.  If the answer is still “nothing” then let go and set a reminder to reevaluate at a future date. Three is no sense in stressing over things you cannot control. 

"Control the controllables" - Bill Lynch, IU head football coach 2007- 2010