I’ve never been athletically inclined to try any sport. Although I have tried tennis once, I enjoyed volleyball in junior high school. Except for the Super Bowl, I don’t watch much sports on TV. Golf is a dull game that I often wonder about. It was a dull game, swinging to hit a 1.62-ounce golf ball into a hole seemed pointless. It was an elite sport for middle-aged white men who had nothing to do. This was my narrow-minded view in those days – I judged without understanding the basics of the game.
Now, fast forward to the present. I am now playing a sport that I thought was boring. Never in a million years would I ever have imagined myself carrying a golf club around in the heat trying to hit a good shot. I pray for an accurate swing. I can’t see the green but I know it.
After reflecting on my Memorial Day best score, I began to think about how I could have improved my drive by switching over to a smaller club (a shorter wood). I realized that I had been spending money, time, and energy in the golf clinics. I was learning how to improve my game and taking lessons from others. I suddenly realized that these were the same principles for building and growing a business.
Some days I can’t make contact with the target while on the course or working in my business. There are also days when I don’t feel I know where my target is. We all have days like these as entrepreneurs, whether we are solo-entrepreneurs or small-business owners.
What is golf teaching me about being an entrepreneur …?
To be able to swing well on the golf course, you need to have a solid grip and some flexibility. You need to know where you are at the moment and where you want to be in 6-12 months, 5 years or five years. It will be easier to create the synergy needed to implement a solid strategic plan once you can clearly describe what you want.
The second is to establish a proper stance and posture that will allow you to maintain a steady center of balance during the swing. You can focus your attention on your target by setting yourself up to balance your business success.
Manage Yourself
Keep On Learning
Build networks
Keep Yourself Up-to-Date
Locate a Mentor/Coach
A good balance can help you to stabilize your swing when it is feeling a bit off. You can know where you stand and what you have to sell.
A third factor that makes a swing a great swing is timing. You will need to manage your time and resources well, whether you are part-time working in your business or have been in the business for some time. You can establish a routine, fine-tune it and get into the swing of things that bring you closer to your goal.
Footwork is the final ingredient to a great swing. Your feet must feel alive and participate in the exercise. Don’t allow yourself to be stuck and not open to new possibilities. Accept the challenge and be willing to take on new challenges. There have been many transitions in my life, but the one that made me feel alive was the most challenging. It was a challenge to give everything I had. I would take a break if I felt stuck and then come back to reposition my body for another shot at the target. I found a satisfying and fulfilling journey through my persistent footwork.
It is not about having lots of power in your swing to be a good “teeoff” in mastering your business. You must approach your target in a planned and systematic way. This will help you land on the Green, your destination.