Stardate 03.28.2026
A couple of nights ago, we gathered at our youngest son’s home for a Sweet 16 family moment we won’t soon forget. The basketball rivalry between the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball and the Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball goes back generations in our state. It’s the kind of history that shows up in good-natured teasing, raised voices at the television, and shared laughter no matter the outcome.
The game didn’t start the way we hoped. In fact, we never even led until the final two minutes. Several friends later told me they turned it off when Nebraska jumped out to a ten-point lead early. They assumed they knew how the story would end.
They missed something special.
They missed the slow, steady comeback.
They missed the quiet belief building possession by possession.
They missed the moment when the impossible started to feel possible.
Tonight, our attention turns east toward the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball. They’re the #3 seed in our family bracket and just knocked off the #2 seed. Earlier in the tournament, our team eliminated the #1 seed at the buzzer with a three-pointer that sent us all out of our seats.
Now, here we are.
Cinderella. The #9 seed. Forty minutes away from the Final Four.
A new coach with a proven track record stands at the helm, and our family can hardly wait for tip-off.
But as I think about these games, I realize the lesson reaching beyond the court has very little to do with basketball.
It has to do with people.
I’ve been paying closer attention to my teammates at my day job and the groups I network with. I’m noticing a pattern that is hard to ignore:
Past performance is the best predictor of future performance.
Not talent.
Not intentions.
Not talk.
Patterns.
The small things people do repeatedly tell you exactly what they will do when the pressure is on.
That’s why the small things matter so much.
That’s why I’m leaning into this idea of becoming 1% better each day. Because when the big moments arrive — the final two minutes of the game, the unexpected challenge at work, the opportunity you didn’t see coming — you don’t rise to the occasion.
You fall back on your habits.
I once heard a story about why David picked up five stones before facing Goliath. Legend says Goliath had four brothers. David didn’t prepare for just one battle. He prepared for whatever might come next. He practiced his skills daily so that when the giant appeared, confidence wasn’t something he had to manufacture in the moment.
It was already there.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” — Zechariah 4:10
Those friends who turned the game off early believed the outcome was already decided. They judged the future based on the scoreboard in the first few minutes.
But the players on the court kept playing. Possession by possession. Stop by stop. Shot by shot.
Small faithfulness.
Tonight, I’m hoping for another family moment we can cherish. But even more than that, I’m grateful for the reminder that life works the same way as these games.
Stay in it.
Do the small things well.
Trust the habits you’ve been building.
And don’t turn the game off too early.
Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong
🖖 Captain’s Addendum
Spock: “Captain, the outcome was statistically improbable given the early deficit.”
Bones: “That’s because you can’t measure heart with numbers, Spock.”
I’m learning that heart is built long before the scoreboard makes sense. One small choice at a time, one percent better each day.
Mission Log: Gratitude for family, for faith, and for the reminder that steady faithfulness often writes the best endings.
Thank you for walking this journey with me. May your day be filled with quiet confidence and small, faithful steps forward.
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