Sometimes you are presented with seemingly impossible business challenges. Just as on the golf course, you find a way to finish.
It has often been said that the game of golf is played with a small ball that needs to go into a small hole, with the task being accomplished only by using equipment that isn’t really designed for that purpose. While this is basically true, the same holds true for running a business. While trying to get a business rolling, you quickly grasp that there are no perfect solutions, and typically you are presented with business challenges that are seemingly impossible. But, just as on the golf course, you need to find a way to finish.
DEVELOP A STONG MENTAL GAME
In both business and golf, it’s all about having a strong mental game, and having discipline is equally important to both. In golf, you find yourself in the unique position of being your own referee. You have the ability to call a penalty on yourself for breaking the rules. Likewise, you are responsible for your own play. Cheating or cutting corners is only going to hurt you. Similarly, in business, failing to play fair will almost certainly come back to bite you at some time. Golf is a game built on integrity and honesty. And it will be best to always bring with you your minimalist golf bag so that you are sure enough that all the golf stuff needed to play is inside it. The most successful players understand that. Likewise, the most successful players in business understand that dealing in honesty and integrity are the best methods to achieve success.
LEARN FROM THE FEEDBACK AND ADJUST
Long considered the best form of corporate entertainment, golf gives players tremendous networking opportunities. The game is one that can be played by anyone, without regard to age or gender. So whether you’re a young entrepreneur sporting hybrid golf shoes, or a seasoned businessperson preferring a classic wing-tip, teeing off with associates provides plenty of time to talk business. Golf requires a great deal of focus, patience, and abstract thinking to hit a good shot. How you present yourself on the course can give your playing partners a sense of how you’ll react in a business setting.