“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” ~ George Washington Carver

With the NHL and NBA teams battling it out in their respective playoffs, a great postseason story comes to mind: Colorado’s run to the 2001 Stanley Cup.

Winning any title is hard enough, but the Avalanche won despite losing their best player — Peter Forsberg — halfway through the playoff run due to a ruptured spleen.

Forsberg’s injury did more than rob the team of a gifted offensive and defensive player. It gave the players an excuse. After all, with the physical, mental and emotional demands so high, human nature can find relief and consolation in excuses.

But the Avalanche never used an excuse. Not only did they win the Cup, but they did so by winning Games 6 and 7 of the final series.

Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier, who himself won six Stanley Cups, says, “When you start making excuses, you have one foot in the grave.”

Instead, like the Avalanche, winners adopt a NMW attitude. NMW stands for No Matter What. Winners never let circumstances limit them. Instead, they use adversity to prove themselves.