The AFC championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs proved that Super Bowl LVI was the game with no guarantee. Despite getting an 18 point lead in the first half, The Chiefs are not the ones going to the big game. The team violated two basic principles that cost them the AFC title. 

Both these principles have little or nothing to do with gameplay or the coach’s strategy. It has to do with mindset

There is No Comfort Zone in Football (or Life)

First, I think that the Chiefs were too confident they were going to be in Super Bowl LVI. 

Most people wouldn’t blame them. The Cincinnati Bengals hadn’t been in the Super Bowl for 33 years before this season. In addition, the Chiefs had stacked up an 18 point lead in the first half of the game. They got comfortable and underestimate their opponents. 

However, that all changed when they were going for their fourth straight touchdown against Cincinnati. It was this next mistake that ended up showing them that you’re never guaranteed a win. 

You Need Points to Go to the Super Bowl 

As a result of this next mistake, the tide of the game turned against Kansas City. The Chiefs had made it to the one-yard line and were going for their fourth touchdown. However, it seemed that in their over-confidence, they forgot one thing. 

You need to score to win a football game. 

Look, I support taking risks, but I am a coward when it comes to things that will cost me money. Winning football games is how these players make money. Kansas City quarterback Mahomes kept trying for the fourth touchdown instead of taking the field goal with seconds left in the first half. 

The Bengals were able to then close the score in the second half and go on to win in overtime. 

No Guarantees in ANY Game

What am I trying to say with all this? 

I am saying two things that apply to all areas of life but can be illustrated in this football game. 

  • Don’t get comfortable and keep the competitive edge. It keeps you in the game. 
  • Don’t give up things of value you have for what might be. Risks are fine. But if you’re winning with something, don’t change it! 

There was no guarantee that the Kansas City Chiefs would make it into Super Bowl LVI. Unfortunately, they realized that too late. You don’t need to make those same mistakes in your big games though if you follow the advice here. 

Be great. 

Grant Cardone 

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Star of Discovery Channel’s “Undercover Billionaire,” Grant Cardone owns and operates seven privately held companies and a private equity real estate firm, Cardone Capital, with a multifamily portfolio of assets under management valued at over $4 billion. He is the Top Crowdfunder in the world, raising over $900 million in equity via social media. Known internationally as the leading expert on sales, marketing, and scaling businesses, Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 business books, including “The 10X Rule,” which led to Cardone establishing the 10X Global Movement and the 10X Growth Conference, now the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world. The online business and sales educational platform he created, Cardone University, serves over 411,000 individuals and Forbes 100 corporate clients throughout the world. Voted the top Marketing Influencer to watch by Forbes, Cardone uses his massive 15 million plus following to give back via his Grant Cardone Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring underserved, at-risk adolescents in financial literacy, especially those without father figures.