Play Ball!

Have you ever heard of having ‘baseball memory’ (or some say football memory?). I never had until the other day, so I thought I’d share, as starting a new year is a great time for such recall… or lack thereof.

You see, it’s not about succeeding at every play. In football you can miss 7 of 10 touchdowns and still make the hall of fame. Baseball stats say that making 30% of solid hits will make that result as well. Thirty percent! (Geez, if I fail once I may freak.) What’s most important is to show up and play full out. If your mind is on the last play or any missed opportunity, you can’t be present and play your best.

The same is true for business, although we rarely think that way. So many of us expect that every move be successful, and when that doesn’t occur we are set back, or so hard on ourselves that we move forward with caution. Some carry this sense of ‘less then’ far into the future with disastrous results.

What if this year, you committed to playing every day full-out. Like you’re up to bat for the first time that day, ready to do your very best in that moment? No remorse, no regret, only the lessons learned, the skills honed, swinging for the fences as best as you can. That could give you the room you need to gracefully move forward, forgive yourself any missteps as simply accumulated knowledge, knowing that if your percentages are good, then so are you.

This year release your expectation to have every hit be a home run, and let yourself easily hit one out of the park. This is also true for your brand, it’s a collection of moments and memories, promises and progress, so now consider what it would be like to make that goal, and keep swinging as if you can. Because really, no matter what you’ve heard, marketing and brand development is a big experiment. Some are great, some not so much, but always those that keep playing, do win.

Judy Winslow is an avid entrepreneur who has spent her career partnering with business owners to build authentic brand platforms to showcase their services and products. Also known as ‘The Brandologist’, her classes, consulting and coaching are available to anyone ready to break free of the expected in order to live their dreams. Find out more and receive a F.R.EE e-book, at Unforgettable Brands.