I've spent most of my life in football, and one of the first things you learn about tackling is that the shortest distance to the ball carrier isn't necessarily the best route to making the tackle. Sometimes, taking someone head-on is the worst decision you can make. The objective isn't to prove how tough you are. The objective is to get the ball carrier on the ground, and the angle you take often determines whether you make the tackle or become another obstacle he runs through.

I learned that lesson the hard way in high school. During a kickoff, I decided to take on a three-man wedge head-on. I don't remember the second half of that game. In fact, I don't remember much of anything until the following Wednesday. But I was back on the field playing the next Friday. Those were different times, and looking back, I didn't need more toughness. I needed a better angle.

Life is constantly putting obstacles between where we are and where we want to go. Too many people believe the answer is to lower their heads, increase their intensity, and run straight through whatever stands in their way. Sometimes that works, but more often than not, they end up exhausted, frustrated, or flat on their backs, wondering what happened. I've learned that the answer isn't always to push harder. Sometimes you need to change the angle.