Recovering fumbles

Nobody’s perfect. We all drop the ball sometimes. Maybe it’s an offense week and I skip exercising 2 days in a row, or it’s a defense week and I accidentally eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk and 6 chocolate chip cookies. Just like in football, here’s the key to dealing with fumbles:

• Get over it. Fumbles are part of the game, and even the best players fumble now and then. So don’t beat yourself up. Instead of giving up or being hard on yourself…
• Recover your own fumble! When you drop the ball, pick it back up rather than letting the other team take it and run with it. Get right back into whatever your game plan was for the week—offense or defense.

Ball Control

If you notice you’re about to fumble,

• The most important thing is to notice you’re at risk, so you can protect the ball.
• Ask yourself if you’re really, really going to enjoy this fumble. Why turn over the ball for a third helping of a casserole you don’t even like?
• If you notice early enough, ask your fans for help. The sooner you can do this, the better (see “hot & cold”). I’ll sometimes say to my family, “OMG, they have a chocolate fountain over there. Please help me eat only one banana’s worth from the fountain.”

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