Sunday, August 30, 2009

Be Sure To Bring Enough Club

Just over a week ago, I watched a wonderful video from Laura Goodrich titled Seeing Red Cars. Without giving too much away, Laura asserts that we get more of what we focus on. She calls it "seeing red cars." Interestingly enough, she finds that when you ask most people what they want, they're often very clear about what they DON'T want, but not always able to say what they DO want. A terrific observation.

Laura illustrates the point with a golfer getting ready to hit a tee shot to an island green on a 140-yard Par 3 - the signature hole on the course. The golfer takes a pitching wedge, lines up the shot and thinks to himself, "Whatever you do, don't hit it in the water." Of course what happens? He hits it in the water. Because he was focused on what he DID NOT want, he failed to achieve what he DID want. A fitting metaphor.

At this moment during the video, I turned to a colleague and said, "The guy also didn't have enough club; he couldn't get it there with a pitching wedge in a hundred tries!" I then thought to myself, "Maybe there's another lesson to be gleaned." Most people I know, myself included, would need at least 8-iron to get on the green unless assisted by a very stiff wind. So what does that mean?

Realizing our life dreams is first about understanding what we want and second about coming to grips with what it will take to get there - or bringing enough club. For example, once you know what you want, you need to identify and commit yourself to what it will take to make it happen. What relationships do you need to foster? What formal or informal education will you require? How will you prepare yourself physically and mentally, so when you're standing on the tee and it's time to perform, that you have enough club to be successful - regardless of the challenge.

Here's the good news, most successful people haven't achieved that success because they're more powerful than a locomotive or can leap tall buildings in a single bound. They do the things anyone can do; it's just that most of us choose not to. (Sound familiar? Just check the subhead on this blog.)

So whether you want to offer the world's best client service or embark on a new career, it starts with knowing what you want. It sounds easier than it is, that's why the lessons in Seeing Red Cars can help you down this road. Once you know what you want, commit yourself to what it will take to get there and you'll likely realize your dreams; fail to do so and your vision will have all the teeth of the typical new year's resolution.

Shoot for a hole-in-one, bring enough club, and with lots of practice, you'll land it on the green every time...Well, most of the time ;-)

*Image from Houston's Clear Thinkers - Par 3, 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass

12 comments:

  1. Great Post Leo! Its interesting because only a week ago I was having a conversation about this very topic, focusing more around the Teachings of Abraham and the power of positive thinking.

    As mentioned in my post ( http://bit.ly/329RjH ) you need to be able to trust first in yourself before you can expect others to trust in our capabilities and work. You must win in your mind first, before you can win in life and those thoughts must be back up with actionable strides. Its only when you build that network of pipes that the water can make its through it, to you.

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  2. Another great post, Leo! I believe we can all admit to becoming a slave to being simply "busy" in our lives. Someone like Laura Goodrich needs to pop us in the head and remind us to keep our eye on the ball. Speakers are people who practiced and took all the engagements they could get. Authors are people who spent countless hours writing and producing a book. They're not magicians.
    Toddlers are known for tirelessly asking their parents "why" everything in the world is the way it is. "Why" is a very important question, and one that needs to stay at the front of what we do. Goodrich's concept, and your advice to "bring enough club," remind us to continually connect the "whys" to the "hows".

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  3. Thanks to you both for your thoughtful comments. I love the "pipes" metaphor, and Terry, it's amazing how we use the "I'm too busy" excuse as one that somehow rationalizes why we're not moving forward in our lives in the ways we could be. As you both know, Laura tells us that we get more of what we focus on. The elegance of the idea (one that is simple, yet sophisticated) gives it its power, so it doesn't surprise me that Seeing Red Cars is so popular.

    Recent blog:=- Be Sure To Bring Enough Club

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  4. Thanks to you both for your thoughtful comments. I love the "pipes" metaphor, and Terry, it's amazing how we use the "I'm too busy" excuse as one that somehow rationalizes why we're not moving forward in our lives in the ways we could be. As you both know, Laura tells us that we get more of what we focus on. The elegance of the idea (one that is simple, yet sophisticated) gives it its power, so it doesn't surprise me that Seeing Red Cars is so popular.

    Recent blog:=- Be Sure To Bring Enough Club

    ReplyDelete
  5. The mind doesn't hear the word "don't"....it cannot enter the subconscious.....Focus on the target and swing with the confidence that you will hit the ball where you intend for it to go.....that should be applied all through life.....The people that I despise the most are the ones that say that you "can't" do something......That's utter nonsense....You can do anything that you allow your mind to do

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  6. The mind doesn't hear the word "don't"....it cannot enter the subconscious.....Focus on the target and swing with the confidence that you will hit the ball where you intend for it to go.....that should be applied all through life.....The people that I despise the most are the ones that say that you "can't" do something......That's utter nonsense....You can do anything that you allow your mind to do

    ReplyDelete
  7. The mind doesn't hear the word "don't"....it cannot enter the subconscious.....Focus on the target and swing with the confidence that you will hit the ball where you intend for it to go.....that should be applied all through life.....The people that I despise the most are the ones that say that you "can't" do something......That's utter nonsense....You can do anything that you allow your mind to do

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  8. My father is a Class A PGA teaching pro and the last thing he'd instruct his students would be to think about the water. I'm actually amazed at the life lessons golf provides us. Too many to list here. Thanks for your comment!

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  9. My father is a Class A PGA teaching pro and the last thing he'd instruct his students would be to think about the water. I'm actually amazed at the life lessons golf provides us. Too many to list here. Thanks for your comment!

    Recent blog:=- Be Sure To Bring Enough Club

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  10. In college I had to take a finance class, everybody in Business did. Only the professor that I received was rumored to be the hardest finance professor in the department. He had a 75% failure rate - or something maybe not as exaggerated. When I sat down on the first day of class it was next to an acquaintance of mine from work. He told me that this was his second time in the class. When I told him it was my first he told me to go ahead and sign up for next semester now.

    I took this not as an insult but a challenge. I focused on doing things that I could do to get ahead. I sat at the front of the 160 seat lecture hall for lecture and even though I was with a team assigned to the back of the same room with 80 other people for lab I still raised my hand to answer questions when they were asked.

    When the semester ended I had an 89.4 average. Not worth rounding to the 90 for the A. I wasn't satisfied. I had actively participated in an 80-160 person class and that should count for something. I sat outside his office on "beg for your life day" with all the other D average folks begging for a C to pass and when I walked in his door he said to me - "I know what you want and you can have your 6/10 of a point. You'll get an A." I didn't even tell him my name yet.

    That's focus, that's drive, that's knowing what you want and working hard to get it. Did I let the work in that class take over and make my other averages suffer, no. I worked a full time job while going to school. Did my job suffer? No. But I did something that 75% of the other people in class couldn't. I got an A. Not only that, but his "firm" non-rounding policy was bended just for me.

    That's bringing club. That's defying physics. James above said the mind doesn't hear the word "don't" so true. So very true.

    My next goal is to move to Raleigh in one year, with a job. I've got my 8-iron in hand ready to go.

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  11. Sounds like you could get there with a putter if you had to. Thanks so much for sharing your story. You didn't just succeed in your class, you learned how the power of positive focus and relentless determination can prevail against the most challenging of circumstances. Keep it up! Best wishes on all your future successes!

    Recent blog:=- Be Sure To Bring Enough Club

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  12. Tiffany,

    You really got my attention with this post. How often do people miss the "A", or the opportunity simply becasue they didn't have the courage or the drive to ask for what they want?

    Being brave and bold enough to ask for what you want, that is bringing club!

    I wish you all the best in Raleigh! Let's have coffee when I speak there in the coming year. ;) I've got my 8-iron too!

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