“Indiana Football, Curt Cignetti, Six Seconds, The Alarm Clock, Turn the Page, Face Forward, One Thing at a Time”
Dear Bank of Prairie Village Shareholders and Clients ~
Although a few bettors and University of Miami fans had to be upset about Indiana winning the College Football Championship ~ The rest of the country smiled in satisfaction.
I am painfully aware, for obvious reasons, of the trials and tribulations of supporting a historically losing college football team.
For those of us who grew up in the Big 8 conference with perennial national champions, Oklahoma and Nebraska, we all learned humbling lessons. One of my all-time favorite bumper stickers, dates back to 1973 with the proclamation “Bama couldn’t have finished 3rd in the Big 8!"
To see a perennial doormat like Basketball-rich Indiana, beat Ohio State, Oregon, and Miami on the gridiron, must give every losing program the dream of redemption. Ironically the following morning when I turned on the talking heads of car radio college football, all the experts were apologizing and attempting to justify why a tradition rich program like Miami was beaten by Little Orphan Annie Indiana.
Like everyone else, there was a pervasive thought, Indiana, like so many Cinderella underdogs, would choke in the ultimate game when playing against a traditional powerhouse. However, this time the glass shoe perfectly fit Indiana. Oh, “How Sweet It Is” when a “Fairy Tale” does come true.
I bring this up as background, as suddenly the world is now focusing on Indiana’s coach Curt Cignetti. Who is this guy? How did he do it? What is his management style? How did he rise to the top so swiftly ~ particularly in the ultimate time of college football discombobulation? Is he not the oldest coach at age 62 to win his first College Championship?
I will not go through all of Coach Cignetti’s background. Suffice it to say, he started at the bottom. However, everywhere Cignetti coached ~ he won Championships.
Cignetti is not a high energy source, wave your hands in frustration, television personality type coach. He simply constantly stares throughout each game in complete concentration.
In researching Cignetti’s leadership, I found one comment I believe demonstrates his style and focus.
Specifically, Cignetti said, “I look at every game in six second intervals and I prepare for every game in six second intervals!” He explained, the average college football play lasts six seconds. “As soon as one six second interval is complete, I immediately focus on the next six second interval.”
“My goal is for each six second interval to be the foundation for the next six second interval. If a play does not go as expected, I concentrate on how best to build from the last six second interval to correct the next six second interval. If we go off balance on an interval, I focus on how to get back onto course with the next one. I know if we execute or immediately correct each six second interval, eventually the score will go our way. I don’t even need to look at the scoreboard.”
Coach Cignetti’s comments hit me with a deep emotional impact.
It brought back memories of when I was trying to swim in college. I was good in high school, but the next level was a leap. After my first college practice, I realized I was in far over my head. I could see no way I could do such grueling practices twice a day for an entire season.
I wanted to quit right then and there. After my initial panic I convinced myself, I would practice a week with the team, if only to say, I made it for a week. After that week, I decided I would practice for a month. After a month, I decided to practice until Christmas Break. At Christmas Break, I wanted to see how tough the Christmas Break workouts would be compared to the normal practices during classes.
During each practice, I did not look up to see what the entire workout would be, I concentrated solely on completing the next practice series.
In short, I took something overwhelming and broke it down into very small, short-term attainable goals.
During this time, I took great comfort in the “Alarm Clock” Parable. As I remember this Parable, a newly manufactured alarm clock, seized up when the clock maker told him for the next 40 years, the alarm clock would be expected second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day after day, month after month and year after year ~ to give accurate time.
The new alarm clock panicked and told the clock maker he simply could not handle such pressure for the next 40 years. The clockmaker said he understood ~ but then explained really all the alarm clock had to do was simply concentrate on being accurate for the next second. With the clock maker’s wise advice, the alarm clock settled in, concentrating on being accurate for just the next second, and then was surprised when his 40-year warranty ran out.
This sounds silly, but over the years the “Alarm Clock” Parable has kept me from panicking at key points in my life. I was overwhelmed when taking classes in college. More overwhelmed when in law school. During my first day on Capitol Hill, after I was given numerous assignments on which I was supposed to be an immediate expert, I almost hyperventilated.
Each time I drew on the Alarm Clock Parable. I told myself not to panic, but just to get through the day, second by second, and hour by hour if necessary. Once calm, I inevitably oriented myself and figured out what was expected.
Today, I spend time speaking to young people who are panicking about their new post college jobs and their careers. They all seem to be worrying about where they will be in 40 years.
Their questions are often the same. Did I study the correct major? In which industry should I work? To what city should I go? What company should I select? And then of course, the corollary questions ~ Should I change careers? Should I change cities? Should I change jobs? Should I change companies?
Contiguous with these conversations are ones of rumination, indecision, regret for past choices made, and for not taking this job or that or starting in the wrong city.
My answer is always the same. Rumination, regret, second guessing, constant indecision, and fear of moving forward, only results in being overwhelmed, which can quickly turn into panic.
My advice is A) Turn the Page on the Past, B) Look forward, and C) Concentrate on One Thing at a Time.
Specifically, A) Turn the page on past decisions or choices. At the time you made them there were valid reasons you did what you did. However, today, you need to simply look at the cards (i.e. facts & circumstances) before you. You must take those cards and decide how to best play them.
B) Look Forward ~ you have all eternity to ruminate. It does no good to do it in the middle of life’s grand game. At this point simply take the cards you have and play them for
the day ahead using as much about the known facts of tomorrow as you can articulate. It does no good to worry about something that might or might not happen. Don’t concentrate on possible problems and challenges. Concentrate on probable, immediate and real challenges ~ i.e. those having more than 80 percent probability of happening.
C) Lastly, Focus on One Thing at a Time. Of all the probable challenges confronting you ~ concentrate on addressing just one.
In short, save your time, energy, mental focus, and particularly your creativity in addressing just the most likely and immediate issue.
Creativity in addressing challenges is critical. That said creativity only surfaces by fully concentrating on one very real and immediate challenge. If you waste it on worrying about issues that may or may not ever arise, fear will overtake you and fear is the mortal enemy of creative problem solving.
Coach Cignetti won a national championship concentrating all his focus and creativity on preparing for the next six second play. Let’s take his lesson as we go through life.
Concentrate on orienting and using the next hours and day in addressing your immediate challenge. Turn the Page, after each hour or each day. Look forward to the next hour or day and concentrate on solving one challenge at a time.
If we can do this, 2026 is going to be a great year ~ and together we will make even our Most Fairy Tale Championship Dreams come True!
Yours for a great year in 2026 ~
Dan Bolen ~ Chairman
Bank of Prairie Village
“The Bank of Prairie Village ~ Home of Blue Lion Banking” ~ cited March 2020, April 2021, April 2022, April 2023 and April 2024 by the by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the “Safest Banks in Kansas City for Your Money.”
Small Batch Banking ~ Once Client at a Time.
