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A Double Whammy! I was reminded this weekend (twice) how the sign wave of life actually works. This curve has been mentioned in my live programs for years and it made the headlines this past weekend. The first example comes by way of a horse. A very fast horse. A very beautiful and elegant four-legged creature who goes by the name of American Pharoah. (Spelled wrong correctly) American Pharoah overcame incredible odds earlier this year by winning the Triple Crown. This was the first time this has happened since Affirmed won it in 1978. Here comes the wake-up call. American Pharoah “lost” this weekend at The Traver’s Stake in Saratoga, NY. A sure-thing … was not to be. Even the best in the business can’t win them all. The second head-scratcher came from the Garden State at a PGA Golf Tournament. (Edison, NJ.) Jordon Spieth, the #1 golfer in the world and the well-spoken, polite, young phenom that everybody has come to love and admire, failed to make the cut after Friday’s second round of The Barclays. Earlier this year he won The Masters at the tender age of 22. He soon rose to #1. On Friday he left the club house without fanfare. Even in the golf business you can’t win them all. Both of these highly trained and super athletes fell short of the expected mark. Both were trained to win. Both were capable of winning. Both were expecting to win. Both lost. What does this have to do with you and your business? Plenty. (No, I am not calling you a loser.) Your business requires a huge investment of both time and money to succeed. There are no shortcuts to reach the top. The pain and early-going frustration experienced early on is sure to wane as you polish your act. But you will never completely put the possibility of failure behind you. Life (and your business) is accurately portrayed as a sine wave and just as sure as I am typing this, as you go down, you will soon be rising again. As you begin climbing up to the winner’s circle, you are sure to soon take a dip in performance. In baseball, this is known as a slump. It happens to the greats, and it will happen to you. You can count on this as sure as you count on the sun rising each morning. Here is where the story takes two turns. Jordan Spieth will be back hitting golf balls before you know it. He will learn what he can from this week’s wake-up call and be stronger than ever. I am certain this particular failure will help improve his game. As for the pony, he might not be lacing up his running shoes again. In fact, the decision now is whether to keep on running or to be put out to pasture to serve as a stud. (Yes, even polished athletes have to call it a day when aging muscles fail to follow mental instructions.) In both instances I found myself sharing in the disappointment. But in both instances, I was reminded how life works and how the sine wave dictates our lives. Perhaps Kenny Rogers said it best when he sang: “You have to know when to hold em, and you have to know when to fold em. You have to know when to walk away, and know when to run.” You and I will just keep running. (Keep those emails coming. I always like to hear what’s on your mind.) mike@mikemarchev.com |