I Learned This Mindset Shift from The Milwaukee Brewers

by Rochelle Melander

I’m from Milwaukee, so of course I’m cheering for the Brewers in the World Series.

My husband and I spend a lot of time talking about their manager’s philosophy.

In the middle of the inning, with two outs, most teams think—it’s all but over. Just one more out and we’re done for.

But here’s what Brewer’s manager Patrick Murphy said in an interview with Adam McCalvy:

“If two-thirds of the inning is over it means one-third of the inning is left, and a lot can be done. One-third is a big piece of the pie, you know what I mean? Like, I love banana cream pie with vanilla wafers. Or banana pudding in a pie-shaped form, if you know anyone that makes them. Anyway, I love that. And if I eat two-thirds of it, that’s a big portion, but there’s a lot left for tomorrow.”

Did you get that? When you’re down with two outs, you still have a third of an inning left—and “a lot can be done.”

It’s almost the end of October—and we’ve got two months left of the year. It’s tempting to think: It’s over. Let’s get a new planner and move on to 2027.

But we still have two months left: “And a lot can be done.”

The Gameplan

You need a gameplan to finish the year strong. Here are a few ideas:

1. Choose one goal to work on.

When we plan for the entire year, we might set a dozen or more goals. Having many potential projects can become a huge obstacle to finishing any of them. But at this point in the year, why not just focus on one thing?

Look at your 2026 New Year’s resolutions and choose one to work on for the rest of the year.

2. Write it down.

People who succeed at achieving goals write specific and measurable goals like these:

When finish my coffee each morning, I will write for twenty minutes, so that I can meet my goal of finishing my writing project.

Here’s the template:

When [Cue: Note the trigger that reminds you to write.]

I will [Practice: Write down what you will do.]

Goal: [Reward: State your goal.]

3. Get support.

We get more done when we state our goals and stay accountable to another person or a group of people. In a study done by The American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), people increase their chances of success by 95 percent when they keep an accountability appointment with someone who knows their goals.

Get an accountability partner and make a promise to each other to achieve a goal by a certain point. If you need help with this, consider joining Show Up and Write this week to see if that’s right for you.

The Mindset Shift

For the next two months, take on the Brewer’s mindset. A lot can get done in a short amount of time. Instead of worrying about all the steps, focus on solving the next problem. Put your head down, focus on the present, and get writing. If you need inspiration, watch the Brewers play ball.

Link love: The Brewers have what many in baseball are calling, “A relentless comeback culture.” (You can read about this in the New York Times.)