Jimmy Johnson

Without the obligations that come from being a NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson spent more time during the offseason with his wife and 1 ½-year-old daughter. It also allowed him to correct a mistaken impression that "December only had two weeks in it."

It was a tough loss because I feel we had the equipment but the people didn't do the job. And we kept beating ourselves.

That's an understandable error, given that Johnson had five consecutive Decembers in which he went directly from the Sprint Cup banquet to a constant and unyielding barrage of sponsor meet-and-greets, media availabilities, photo ops and celebrity whistle stops while someone else did the Christmas gift shopping.

Home-cooked meals can be a welcome change from chicken dinners on the road. But Johnson wants his fans to know that even though it was fun to let Tony Stewart enjoy the hubbub that goes with being champ, he really wouldn't mind getting back in the same old rut in 2012.

In all seriousness, during his free time Johnson has spent much of the past seven weeks trying to figure out what went wrong in 2011 -- and how to fix it before the season kicks into gear next month at Daytona.

"I started racing at 5 and I've probably won seven or eight championships, so there's a lot of losing years in there," Johnson said. "When I look at 2005 -- before our run started -- we had a tough loss that a lot of growth came from.

"This wasn't necessarily a tough loss because we were close. It was a tough loss because I feel we had the equipment but the people didn't do the job. And we kept beating ourselves. So there is a good lesson in last year. And I think -- I know -- it's going to make me stronger and this team stronger. And hopefully we won't make the same mistakes twice."

Johnson is of the opinion that you learn more from failure than from success. And he plans to put that to the test this season.

"When you're winning, it's easy in a lot of respects," Johnson said. "When you have tough moments -- moments which you're not proud of, make mistakes, whatever it is -- I personally learn a ton from all of those situations. And there were mistakes made last year in the Chase, and I'm learning from them."