When people think about growth, they often focus on the most obvious moments.
In sports, it might be the games, the performances, and the pressure that comes with competition. In business, it’s a major project, a promotion, or an important presentation. In life, it can be a decision, a transition, or an opportunity that requires you to move into discomfort before you feel fully ready.
The field doesn’t matter, but those public moments often become the measure of progress.
Over time, I’ve come to believe that some of the most important development happens outside of those visible moments. A quote from Reggie Miller, which I read as a young NBA player, has always stuck with me: “You get better in the offseason.”
Of course, you grow in season through the different opportunities to compete. However, the offseason creates something the season often doesn’t: space. Space to reflect honestly. Space to recharge. Space to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to improve moving forward.
Every Season Requires a Different Kind of Growth
One thing my father used to tell me is that life moves in seasons. Certain seasons are about building. Some are about learning. Some are about pushing forward aggressively, while others are about stepping back enough to reassess where you are and where you’re trying to go next. The offseason works the same way.
Offseasons aren’t unique to only athletes. Everyone experiences their own version of one throughout life and/or work.
It can happen at the end of a major project, after a busy season at work, during a career transition, or whenever there’s an opportunity to pause and evaluate what’s next. They create space to reflect, learn, develop new skills, and prepare for whatever comes next.
You can reflect on questions like:
- What were we able to accomplish?
- Where did I improve?
- Where did I fall short?
- What habits helped me consistently, and which ones held me back?
- Am I preparing intentionally or just staying busy?
Growth requires honesty, and answering these questions honestly will help you make progress.
Rest and Reflection Are Part of the Process
We often underestimate how important rest can be, not just physically, but mentally too. There’s real value in stepping away long enough to recharge and regain perspective before turning the page to what comes next.
Some opportunities for growth are obvious. You may need to learn a new skill, improve how you communicate, build stronger habits, or gain knowledge in an area that’s unfamiliar to you. But some of the most valuable development comes from simply exposing yourself to new ideas and different perspectives.
I’ve always believed that leaders should be lifelong learners. No matter how much experience you have, there’s always something new to learn.
One offseason, I tried out yoga. I didn’t see the connection at first, but it taught me how to be more present and manage tension in ways I hadn’t before, like staying calm in high-pressure moments.
Another year, I started reading books I normally wouldn’t have picked up: history, philosophy, business, and what struck me was how the same principles kept appearing across completely different fields: preparation, discipline, resilience, leadership. The lessons sports teach aren’t unique to sports.
There was an offseason when I went back to school, and being a student again was humbling in the best way. It reminded me that growth requires you to be willing to not know something, to sit in discomfort, and to keep showing up anyway.
Learning takes many different forms. Sometimes it’s from formal education, books, new experiences, or simply putting yourself in unfamiliar situations. But they all have one thing in common… A willingness to keep growing.
The most successful leaders I’ve been around don’t assume they’re finished learning.
“Growth is not over because opportunity has arrived. Success does not remove the need for discipline, and learning is not remedial; it is sustaining. If the leader is stagnant, the organization is exposed.”
Development Demands Discipline
The offseason can be much more difficult because most of your structure disappears. During the season, you have a schedule that creates accountability. There are games to prepare for, coaches to push you, teammates who depend on you, and a flow that keeps you locked in, but the offseason removes that structure.
What’s left is just you and the choices you make when no one is requiring anything of you.
That’s where self-discipline either gets built or exposed. It’s easy to stay motivated when there’s pressure and visibility attached. It’s harder when the work is quiet, the results are invisible, and there’s no immediate feedback telling you it’s paying off.
A lot of people find that discomfort difficult, and understandably so. But learning to push through that gap, to do the work without external pressure driving you, is one of the most valuable things an offseason can develop.
The Work That Doesn’t Get Seen Still Matters
What shows up publicly is usually built behind the scenes first. Traits like confidence, discipline, leadership, communication, preparation, and consistency are developed long before they’re tested under pressure. That’s why the offseason matters so much.
It’s an opportunity to strengthen areas that don’t receive full attention amid the pace of a season. A lot of that work isn’t particularly exciting in the moment. It’s repetitive, but important for long-term growth.
Preparation Creates Readiness
I recently had a conversation with a colleague about something we don’t always appreciate: the amount of preparation that never seems to get used.
He shared how, for years, he studied the rules and policies of his industry without knowing if any of that knowledge would ever matter. Then, during a critical meeting, a nuanced rule he remembered became the deciding factor in an important decision.
It was a reminder that preparation is rarely wasted. Much of the work we do behind the scenes may never get recognized, but when the moment comes, it can make all the difference. You never know where or how your preparation will show up, but it always matters.
One of the biggest advantages of using the offseason intentionally is that it allows you to stay ready instead of rushing to get ready later. Opportunities rarely pop up at the perfect time. Leadership responsibilities can come unexpectedly. Growth often requires you to step into situations before you feel fully ready.
Preparation helps create stability in those moments, and preparation comes from…
- Habits developed through consistent daily choices
- Perspective gained from experience and honest reflection
- Discipline practiced when no one is watching
- Consistency maintained even when motivation is low
That’s why what you do in the offseason matters, and why it can prepare you for the upcoming season.
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