Back in '82, I used to be able to throw a pigskin a quarter mile.

"How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?... Yeah... Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would've been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind."
- Uncle Rico


Do you remember Napoleon Dynamite's Uncle Rico? Uncle Rico was constantly thinking about the fourth quarter of his last high school football game. Uncle Rico had a serious case of Season's Over Disorder (SOD).

SOD happens when you come to the end of a successful season, the close of an effective project, a group of great friends breaks up and goes in different directions or any number of changes.

SOD starts out normally. You remember and celebrate the wins and the friends that celebrated the wins with you. SOD is characterized by a seeming inability to get passed thinking about how much better it was then. Some people, like Uncle Rico and a football hero or two you knew in High School, may never get past SOD.

SOD can leave you feeling lost and wondering what to do next, where to go next, if your best times are behind you and if you will ever have a great, or even a good season again.

You can get over feeling harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Here's some tips:

1. Realize that you will have great seasons again.
Really. You will. Now work on convincing yourself that this is true. It may not be the same as the season past, but you will have a great season again.

2. Find the good in the season you are in now.
Maybe you're not where you want to be, but you are in a place where you will learn and experience things you wouldn't get to otherwise. Learn to embrace and enjoy the lessons and experiences you are facing now. Maybe they are there to get you ready for your next great season.

3. Find some friends.
Sometimes it is hard to get to know someone new, but maybe the people you meet today will be worth all the difficulty this season and losing the last one brings.

4. Look at your last season.
Don't be afraid to continue to remember and reflect on your last season. It is okay to remember how great it was, how much you enjoyed it, how much you miss it, the things you accomplished, the people you shared it with. Remembering what you were a part of helps propel you to the next great season. Not only that, those times are worth remembering.

5. Keep your eyes open.
Keep yourself ready for the opportunities that could be your next great season.