Thinking Things Through: We're on to Cincinnati

The Mentality to Bounce Back

There are many valuable lessons that can be learned through sports that apply to our daily life. One of my favorites is encapsulated by something my father would tell me every time I was unsuccessful: “We’re on to Cincinnati.”

Legendary football coach Bill Belichick, after his New England Patriots were trashed 41 to 14 by the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in the 2014 NFL season, had to attend a usual press conference after the game. Reporters kept pressing him: “What could you have done better?” “Are you thinking of making personnel changes?” “Is Tom Brady too old?” Instead of being critical of his own players or dwelling publicly on the loss, Coach Belichick responded with a simple phrase—the same for every question:

“We’re on to Cincinnati”

Coach Belichick was asked about his decision-making, the quality of his defense, and much more. Over and over, he responded, “We’re on to Cincinnati.” Which referred to his upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but it became much more than that.

At the time, this felt like typical Belichick—short, grumpy, avoiding the media. But his refusal to dwell on the loss—and his insistence on looking ahead—set the tone for the entire team. We’re going to take some hits, but we’re going to move forward. That mindset became a staple of the culture in New England.

The Patriots lost only twice more throughout the rest of 2014 and proceeded to win the Super Bowl that year. They also won two more in the following 5 years.

Not too long ago, I found myself in a relatable situation for many of us, with an upcoming job interview. It was the opportunity for my dream job. I prepared for months and had passed the first rounds, with the last interview coming up, a three-hour affair. Before that final round, I pictured my life in that role: the travel, the growth, the excitement.

Then, the call came. I didn’t get it.

It stung. It felt like I missed a hell of an opportunity. But eventually, I realized the only way forward was to keep going.

Losses will never not sting—some more than others. And I’m not saying you should ignore them. Coach Belichick still addressed the Kansas City loss head-on, berating the team in a film session, dissecting every single misstep.

But that’s the point. You face the loss, you learn, and you move on.

About a year ago, Tennis icon Roger Federer gave a commencement speech that echoed the same lesson:
“Perfection is impossible. I won only 54% of the points I played.”

“When you're playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world. But when it's behind you, it’s behind you.”

“Negative energy is wasted energy.”

“The best in the world are not the best because they’ll win every point, but because they know they’ll lose again and again, and they have learned how to deal with it.”

For Federer, it was tennis points. For us, it might be job interviews, failed relationships, or poor exams. And when those things happen, it’s easy to spiral into self-criticism. But dwelling too long can cloud your focus for what’s next.

Not every investment Buffett made was a hit, not every season Jordan played was a success. And that’s fine—look at them now.

The lesson is clear: whether in sports, business, or life, the key isn’t never losing—it’s in knowing how to bounce back.

So this is a push to myself—and maybe to you too: if something didn’t go your way recently, don’t stay stuck in that moment. Let it go. We're all going to fall short at times. The story isn’t over.

“We’re on to Cincinnati”

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It’s been a while since the last article, but I wanted to make sure I published work I was proud of and that hopefully people can reflect on. I expect a much higher frequency of posts in the next few months.

I have always tried to have this idea present in every shortcoming of my life. For us sports fans, I thought about it even more recently, seeing Lando Norris crash at the end of the Canadian GP and Sinner in the French Open final. I’m excited to see how they continue to bounce back.

Come back next time!