Born under the shadow of the city of Chicago, I follow the Chicago Bear’s each season. If you hate football in general or the Bears in particular, don’t worry. This blog is not about football as much as it’s about life.

This last Sunday I caught the game between the Bears and the Lions. Early in the game, Bear’s defensive player Julius Peppers stripped the ball out of the hands of Lion’s running back Calvin Johnson, prompting the commentators to remind viewers that the Bear’s game-plan relies on takeaways:

The Bear’s strategy isn’t based on the other team turning the ball over. The Bear’s are all about taking the ball away from the other team. It’s about takeaways, not turnovers.

Don’t build your success plan on the hopes that others will screw up or your luck will kick in (turnovers) so you can step in or step up to the next tier of success. That’s passive, and even if you accomplish some success through turnovers, it won’t last. Why? You haven’t developed the muscle, discipline and character to sustain it.

Rather, build your plans around what you want and what you will, putting in the work, the effort, the drive and the commitment to pursue success (takeaway). Success requires an active presence, not a passive one.  Your plan needs to involve a singleness of purpose along with strength-training for your mind, body and spirit.

What are you going after today? What takeaway are you going to grab and run with this week?