I was sitting on my couch one Saturday morning when my wife shared a video of the young golf phenomenon Jordan Speith. The President’s Cup was being played in Korea at the time and the young Mr. Spieth was hitting out of a greenside bunker.
When his club scooped the sand with a “thunk,” sand began to fly everywhere while the ball was slowly plopping softly onto the green and began meandering toward the hole. “Ka-plunk.” The ball disappeared into the cup.
That was the moment when my mind began to do its thing. The difference between a professional and an amateur just unfolded before my very eyes. What is the difference you ask?
From the time Jordan Spieth hit his ball into the sand he began planning his next shot. Arriving at the pit, he perused the situation before firmly planting his feet and calculating the speed and trajectory of his next swing. He wasn’t hoping he would get out of the sand. He was taking aim at the cup and expecting the following swing to be the last at this hole. He was right.
The amateur mindset behaves quite differently when faced with a challenge. After physically showing dismay and audibly recognizing the current dilemma, he/she begins to hope, wish and pray that their next shot results in reaching for their flat stick (putter) and hoping again that two additional strokes will put them out of their misery.
Professionals expect good results. Amateurs hope this might be their lucky day.
And now back to you, my small business entrepreneurs. When you arrive at work on any given day, are you expecting to win, or are you hoping not to lose? And when you are not plying your trade, are you practicing difficult shots and fine-tuning your muscle memory? Have you paid your dues and are you continuing to pay them?
The difference between an amateur and a professional is huge. Which one are you?
(The only way Jordan Spieth’s hole-out could have been any better is if he had pointed toward the cup Babe Ruth-style before completing his swing.) BRILLIANT!
Mike Marchev freely shares his experiences, strategies and observations with travel professionals in an effort to keep them on top of their game. For a complimentary copy of his 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
