Monday Morning Match is a quick post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
Close to Going Under
It’s an unwritten rule in baseball that when a pitcher is in the midst of a no-hitter, you aren’t supposed to talk about the no-hitter. When you’re a runner and you’re simply “feeling it,” you don’t need to justify running the extra distance. You just run…and it feels amazing.
It’s not much different in golf; When you’re having a good round, you shouldn’t talk about it. A common mistake of newer golfers (especially junior players) is to add up your scores and start to think to yourself “if I can just make pars on the next three holes, I will shoot ___.” As soon as that happens, usually the round falls apart under a blend of nerves, bad breaks, and poor swings.
Today I finally had one of those good rounds going. I was playing with my son and another father/son duo with whom we are friends. (It was my second round of the day after having played earlier in the day, where I shot a nondescript nine-over par 79.) The afternoon round began with a bunch of pars then some fireworks occurred with back-to-back chip-ins, one for par and the second was for my first birdie of the round. A grinding two-putt for par on 9 gave me a 1-under 34 headed to the back nine.
Two bogeys to start the back nine quickly brought me back to reality and reminded me that you should never count your eggs before they hatch. It’s something I wouldn’t be surprised to see my son do but I’ve been playing this game for 35 years. I know better.
To make a long blog post shorter, I came to the 18th hole with a chance to shoot a 1-under par if I made a birdie. My drive trickled into the rough but my approach shot was played perfectly and I left myself with a 7-footer for my first under par round in over 30 years.
Sadly, I missed by a few inches and settled for an even-par round of 70. I was so close to achieving what every golfer who ever tees it up aims to do – break par, but I was still satisfied with a great round of golf. The fact that I got to enjoy it with my son Ryan, who played well himself, was a nice way to end the day.
How Close Are You to Something Awesome?
- Your next listing might be one phone call away.
- A new buyer could be in front of you the next time you go to the store, gym or library.
- A referral could be on the receiving end of that next hand-written note.
- Securing that top dollar referral opportunity.
- Today’s “next” showing…
- That counteroffer might be accepted…
- One more email sent, open house held, or FSBO door knocked on that could be your next “big deal.”
And when it comes to thinking too far ahead…
- Never count closings and the commissions that come with them before the paperwork is signed.
- Don’t be too sure that “come and get it” listing is going with you until you’ve signed the paperwork and dropped your sign in the front yard.
- Your perfectly planned day of rest, relaxation or simply catching up on paperwork can easily be derailed by the “urgent” and/or the “important.”
This week’s forecast is building relationships, solving problems and having fun. It’s time to pull up your big girl or big boy underwear and make that putt to finally break par.
Just keep doing your thing and let your competition underestimate your skill.
Under pressure…is where you rise to awesomeness.
Your motto? Under promise…then over deliver.
Now…get out there and shoot “under” par.