Author: Mike Urgo
Sorry not sorry for the sports analogy this week, but the message is simple. I was playing in a charity golf event this week, (shout-out to my former HS lacrosse coach who is doing amazing things at his company) and I was playing TERRIBLE. Now, I am not a good golfer by any means, but I can usually hold my own.
Later that day I was reflecting on my play (because that is what athletes do) and I realized that I wasn’t in the game. I wasn’t keeping my eye on the ball, both literally and figuratively. I had things going on professionally, I have things going on personally, and while I was physically present, mentally when hitting most shots, my brain was elsewhere.
In golf, there are so many things to think about when hitting a shot:
- Are my feet right?
- Is the yardage right?
- Do I trust the club?
- Is there wind?
- What is my lie?
- Don’t forget to keep your shoulders straight.
- Don’t forget the weight transfer.
- Am I aiming right?
- Keep your left arm locked.
The list goes on and on, but ends with: keep your head down and eye on the ball.
It’s harder than you think if you have never golfed. It’s because you want to see where the ball is going to go. You are hyper-focused on the end result, or in my case on a million other things going on in my life. It is also difficult, because you can start to think that after you hit a few shots you don’t have to focus as hard. As if your body will just know what to do. That is never the case, which is why golf is so humbling and addictive to some (me).
I think this is a good life lesson to think about and apply both inside and outside the workplace. We need to keep our eye on the ball. We need to be present where we are and focused. And if there are competing priorities, set boundaries and expectations so you can be present. There are appropriate and inappropriate times to multitask. If the work you are doing requires your full attention like a golf shot, make sure you keep your focus and eye on the task at hand.
Even if you have done something over and over, if you take your eye off the “ball”, you can swing and miss. So as I go through my day, I try and remind myself to do just that. Focus on the ball and try not to get distracted by outside influences. The truth is, it’s hard and you will never be perfect. Between emails, teams, Webex spaces, slack, G-Chat (is that still a thing?) and social media; there will always be something else to look at or think about. The more you can be present, the more you will hit the ball straight and on target, whatever that “ball” may be.
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