LISTEN:
Coming off a Masters weekend, I frequently like to make some sort of golf analogy on my Extra Points. This year is no different, especially after getting to play a tournament with a friend on Saturday.
As I played the round, I was reminded of an aphorism that influenced my mindset. The comment came in regards to differentiating how a professional golfer “thinks” as opposed to almost any amateur.
Amateur golfers “fall in love” with a certain club – it might be their Driver, 5-iron, 7-iron, or pitching wedge. When asked by someone what their favorite club is, amateurs will eagerly answer with that club.
Professional golfers have a different response when queried as to what their favorite club is. They respond with a simple, clarifying question…
“What’s the yardage to the hole?”
While pro golfers are human and likely have clubs they prefer more than others, they also have become tuned to the fact that any of their 14 clubs in the bag must have the full confidence to hit any shot at any time depending on the situation.
Professional business people and entrepreneurs also need to incorporate that mindset in their own “game.”
Regardless of your business, career, or industry, you have tools of your trade. They might be tangible items like specialized equipment, products, services, and people. I was just visiting a recent podcast guest at her wellness center that includes, fitness equipment, a cryotherapy room, an infra-red sauna, and a soma-dome meditation pod.
For many of you, your specialized tools are inside your heads. You develop ideas, formulas, recipes, training sessions, and programs. I’ve begun working with another recent podcast guest who has created a plan for me to enhance my fitness regimen to better suit what I’m trying to accomplish in my mid-50s, as opposed to when I was younger. I’m even hoping it helps my golf game!
I’ve found that business professionals get stuck “falling in love” with certain process, procedures, and methodologies. They might use one of those favored paths even when it’s not the exact right “tool” for the job. During the pandemic, many entrepreneurs saw the need for innovation to pivot out of the “rough” and get back on the fairway simply to survive.
As we move forward, it would be a mistake to revert back to any favorites (or stick doggedly to any new ones). We must have the confidence in all our tools, in other words every single facet of what we do to improve the conditions of others. If there is a lack of confidence in any area of your business or career, then you have a decision to either throw that “club out of your bag;” or if it’s necessary, make sure you enhance your confidence in it.
We all play a tough course called life. That course has many hazards in front of us. Lack of confidence in any of our skills and abilities brings those hazards into play. While full confidence will never eliminate these hazards, I promise that you will be better prepared to prevent, respond, and recover from them.
What’s your favorite “club?”
Quote of the Week:
“Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger.”
~ Arnold Palmer, four-time Masters champion
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