Knowing what to do next

If you’re a fielder in baseball, there are two critical parts to making a play: getting the ball, and then knowing what to do once you’ve got it.

That is, “what’s now?” and “what’s next?”

Catching the ball or stopping it from going past you — that’s step one. You’ve got to field it.

But immediately afterwards, you have to decide what to do.

Do you hold the ball? Tag a runner or a base? Or do you throw the ball to a teammate ... and to which one?

The best players not only make the initial play, they know what to do next. They see the field, and they know what needs to be done to achieve the team’s goals.

And here’s the parallel to daily life: it’s not enough to know what to do with what comes at us. Knowing what to do next — or confidently guessing — is critical.

If you want to practice, practice engaging in the act of doing what’s next. Make a play happen.

Do that consistently, and over time, you’ll become an MVP.