The home run in baseball.

The ace in tennis.

The hail mary in football.

The hole in one in golf.

The knockout punch in boxing.

Almost all sports have their version of the perfect play. The one play that allows the player/s to score points with seemingly very little effort, however, these plays are few and far between. The majority of games are won by gutting it through, play by play, fighting for every point.

Whether you’re a sports fan or not, you’ve heard the stories of athletes that fail to give up. They fight through the losses; they keep playing their best, even when they’re losing. They seem to be relentless. And when asked why they keep doing it, why they push so hard, you’ll often hear some version of, ‘for the love of the game.’

Yes, professional athletes have the talent and are paid to play, but you’ll also find many average Janes and Joes, out on weekends playing sports and giving it their all. They all want to win, but even when they don’t, they walk off the fields, or out of the ring, with the satisfaction that they gave it their all, they did their best. All for the love of the game.

While sports might not be exactly the same as everyday life, there are similarities. And although in life, the game is unique to each individual, it’s still possible to take an athlete’s approach towards it.

I’m not suggesting you keep score because to do so, you’ll have to compare your life to others. What I am suggesting is that you adopt a few characteristics of athletes into your own life. You can apply the traits of relentless pursuit to be your best, grit, and one of the most important, the ability to bounce back from losses in your own life.

Viewing life through the lens of a game can give you a new perspective on your daily activities and challenges. Some day’s you’ll win and others you’ll learn from. Some day’s you’ll hit home runs and other days, you’ll be clawing for inches. Keep the athlete’s mentality, be strong and stay in the game as long as you can. Not for credit, not for the scores, but for the love of the game of life.

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