For the majority of golf fans around the world this is the best week of the entire year. Starting yesterday, the United States’ most prestigious golf tournament got underway at beautiful Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia. The field of 90, which is the smallest of any major tournament and the strict eligibility requirements, lend us the most competitive group of professional golfers on the planet each year.
It’s a good thing too. Because although many are of the opinion that Augusta National, a course which was formerly a plant nursery, is the most beautiful on tour, it is never a walk in the park. Time after time we have seen players fold like a pair of knickers, while others embrace the challenge at the most crucial moments, and write their name in history.
Much like building a successful business, it is a long journey that will test your will and demand the best from you.
But where do you start?
Acknowledge the Challenge:
Rarely is anything that’s easy to accomplish worth celebrating. That’s why once a year we can’t wait to watch the world’s best compete, and struggle, in one of the toughest settings. In order to bring your best to the table, embrace the fact that what you are trying to accomplish will be challenging. That is a good thing. You have put yourself in this situation, meaning you have prepared yourself adequately and deserve to be here. This should be your mindset going in and if it isn’t then don’t bother teeing off.
Play YOUR Game:
Not everyone’s game fits Augusta National, yet players with different playing styles have all been successful. The ones who struggle are those who try to over compensate for the difficulty of the course by changing their approach. Play to your strengths, after all that’s what got you here. Should you consider the past success of others when developing your strategy? Of course, but do so by tailoring ideas of others to your agency’s strengths and ideals. Bubba Watson hit one of the most unorthodox, yet memorable shots to seal his victory in the 2012 Masters Tournament. An aggressive style of play few others would embody, but something Watson has become known for. Do it your way, because in the end it doesn’t matter if you win with a -12 or a +1. Ask Zach Johnson.
Plan, And then Adapt:
You are confident in your style of play. You have mapped out the course and you’re ready to tee off Thursday morning. By the turn there are 35 mph winds and a torrential down pour. No, the original game plan probably doesn’t fit the bill at this point, but that’s why you packed your rain gear. Those who thrive in business aren’t always the brightest or the ones with the most resources, but those who are the best at adapting to the circumstances presented to them.
Exude Confidence:
While it is easy to spot someone who is confident in what they are doing, it is easier to spot someone who is not. If you haven’t sold yourself on what you are building, then how can you sell anyone else on it? After all, assuming you have reached this point by building around your strengths and recognizing opportunities, then you have earned your spot in the field and owe it to yourself to play like it.
Certainly remain humble. Nothing can backfire more quickly than a player trying to go the distance on their second shot on hole number 15, Firethorn, only to watch their ball land in the drink. But you can do yourself a lot of favors by playing like you belong.
Stay the Course:
Much like the four day grind that is the Masters Tournament, building a business can be a grueling process. There will be ups and downs and it is important to build on what you have done the day before while recognizing there will be some bad shots along the way. Use these as learning experiences and move on, no one gets a trophy for being in first after day one.
Play to WIN:
The reason the Masters Tournament, or any major championship for that matter, are so intriguing is because the magnitude of the moment brings out qualities in people you didn’t know they had. How often have we seen a no name lead after day one, play conservatively to try and hold the lead and finish outside the top 10 on Sunday? Complacency is the enemy. Nothing is static and therefore if you are not progressing you are regressing, while others around you are closing the gap. Throughout the journey there will be a handful of situations that offer the opportunity to make a big time play. These are where the exceptional capitalize.
Enjoy the Ride:
It is easy to get so focused on the end goal that you become blind to the greatness that is taking place all around you. Breath, your business will be there tomorrow, and the Masters Tournament which has been played since 1934 isn’t going anywhere either. Don’t put an excess of pressure on yourself that may cause you to forget why you got in the game, and what you enjoy most about it. Somewhere along the line you began working with this goal in mind and it would be a shame to not to appreciate the opportunity you have afforded yourself.
Follow these tips and you may just find yourself with in the driver’s seat of an up and coming business, or in a funny looking green jacket.
Rejoicing your brand is not a new concept, Oreo cookies have their own national holiday on March 6th but, in an industry which constantly strives for the biggest and boldest ideas, it is easy to lose sight of the simplest of concepts – celebration.
