How to End Your Day “on a Make”

Whether it’s playing, watching, or just holding a ball in my hands, I love basketball and have since I can remember.

And right now I’m in heaven because the sweet spot of the NBA Playoffs are happening at the same time as the WNBA season kicking off.

Because it’s my favorite sport and the one I’ve played most, I’ve been able to take away a lot of principles in basketball that are also applicable to this game we call life, so even if you’re not a fan of basketball (or even sports), I hope you can find value in these lessons too.

Starting with this: There’s an unspoken rule in basketball and it’s that you always “end on a make,” meaning before you leave the court after practice, your last shot must go in the basket.

There’s a reason why you want to “end on a make” in basketball, but I’ve also infused this principle into the work I do with my clients.

I hope it’s a concept you too want to incorporate into your day.

In basketball, “ending on a make” is how we end each session of practice.

When you think about it, each of our days, if we’re on a journey toward being the healthiest we can be, is also considered a practice.

Like basketball, there are days when everything’s going our way and the ball is just going in the basket – it’s almost hard to miss.

While those days are few and far between, in our everyday lives as well, we can have some good days – days when making healthy choices is easier than others.

On the other hand, in basketball, there are also “not-so-good” days – days when things are just not in our favor; they’re not going our way, and the circumference of the rim seems smaller than the ball itself – the ball is just not going in the basket.

Our daily lives can reflect this just as easily – no matter how hard we try, the temptations and distractions are prevalent and some days it’s harder than usual to “win the day.”

Here’s the thing:

When we “end on a make” in basketball, no matter how well or not we performed in practice, we always want to end on a positive (a make).

Consider how applying this principle to your day can help move you forward toward your goals;  no matter how well (or not well) you did today, ending the day on a “make,” a positive, is the best way you can close out the day.

There’s no right or wrong way to “end on a make” at the end of your day.

For me, “ending on a make” means that I don’t eat anything after dinner because that’s a commitment I made to myself.

As much as I sometimes crave an after-dinner snack or treat, that’d be “ending on a miss” for me, but that’s MY guideline.

Perhaps yours is different – maybe “ending on a make” means expressing gratitude before you go to sleep, gentle stretching in the evening while you watch your favorite show, turning off all electronics 30 minutes before bed and reading a physical book, etc.

These are all examples of how you can end your day “on a make.”

So what will yours be?

Like in basketball, “ending on a make” doesn’t have to be a half-court shot (an extremely hard one to make even for professionals) – it can be the easiest shot – when you’re right under the basket.

The same is true for ending our day with a positive thing we do for ourselves – it doesn’t have to be grand; in fact, the easier, the better, because it’ll mean that you’re more likely to make it a consistent act every night.

Again, consider what “ending on a make” means for you, and what it could mean for you over time if you make it a habit.

Remember, it’s “end on (one) make,” not several, so don’t think you need to have multiple things to make it count.

Just one small, but consistent act each night is all it takes to add up to big changes over time.

Choose what yours will be and start tonight!

It’s Your Turn to Take Care of You,

Need Some Help?

Book a time to talk with me here.