I’ve started playing basketball a couple mornings each week with my son Elijah. I played basketball in high school, but I’m definitely rusty now. My eyes also have a depth perception issue which keeps me from being able to judge how far away the goal is.
So if it’s been a while since I’ve shot a basketball, my brain has to re-learn the court. My arms have to re-learn how hard or soft to throw. Without depth perception, all of my other senses have to engage to help my body know how to get the ball in the basket. That takes time and practice.
To retrain my body, I’ve spent the last three visits to the gym practicing bank shots. That’s where you aim for the corner of the square on the basketball goal and let the ball ricochet into the basket. Most of the time, I miss. This morning, as I was wrapping up, I thought, “Could I at least make three in a row?” I shot three times and made it, but then missed several after that.
I tried to increase the streak to four without any luck. Then, I realize that I didn’t really believe I could make more than three in a row. So, using a bit of energy work, I tweaked my beliefs and put in, “I can make at least ten shots in a row.”
I shot a few, missed and then an idea struck. What if I shot from one spot, focused on getting the ball to the upper-right corner of the box and just did that over and over again? What if I extended my right arm as high as possible, so I got as close to the goal as I could, and shot? I was standing close to the goal. Surely I could make at least ten in a row that way.
So I began … one, two, three, four in a row… seven, eight, nine, TEN in a row! That seemed so easy, I thought, “Why not keep going?” I continued … twelve … fifteen … twenty. “Good grief! I could go on forever!” I thought. And that’s when I got a little sloppy. After twenty-two in a row, I missed.
Immediately, I saw the metaphor for business in this little basketball exercise. The same things that helped me shoot twenty-two shots in a row would help me (or anyone else) succeed more consistently in their businesses.
First, you’ve got to believe it’s possible. If you don’t believe the goal you’re aiming for is attainable, you’re never going to achieve it. So as my mentor, Carolyn Cooper, says: you have to line up your “energetic stance.” Your belief system and energy need to be aligned with the goal.
Second, you’ll need to set a specific objective and FOCUS on it. In my case, I aimed for the top right corner of the square. My only objective was to make the ball hit that corner. I didn’t get fancy with it, didn’t aim anywhere else, just focused on the corner. If you can focus on performing one specific revenue-generating activity in your business exceptionally well and consistently, you will see results.
Third, consistency. I had to keep doing the same thing over and over again. As long as I kept my focus and acted consistently in a certain way, I kept getting positive results.
Fourth, extend yourself! I reached as high as I could with my right hand before releasing the ball. This expelled the excess energy which might have caused me to throw the ball too hard. It also brought me as close to my goal as possible. Extending yourself outside your comfort zone in your business will do the same thing for you.
Fifth, follow through. Extending for as long as possible is what we call “follow through” in basketball. In your business, you also need to follow through. That means following up on leads, going the extra mile for a client, doing what it takes to build relationships with colleagues and potential customers. A lot of times we have a tendency to stop short and sabotage our efforts. Follow through!
Sixth, release the ball. There comes a time after you’ve done all you can do, that you have to let go and trust. If you’ve extended yourself and followed through, the ball will reach its target, and you will see your own bank shot to success.
And then there’s a bit of a warning. You’re going to get tired. Rather than get sloppy like I did and miss the shot, why not take a break and rest a bit? Had I stopped shooting for a moment, let my body rejuvenate, and then took another shot, I bet I wouldn’t have missed. And I would have hit 23, 24, 25, 26, etc… in a row. There is nothing wrong with taking a rest when you’re tired. In fact, it’s a natural part of the creative cycle.
Every basketball player can use a good coach, and so can entrepreneurs. My goal is to come alongside Light Bearers and help them deliver their messages and light the world with their brilliance. If you’re looking for someone to roll up her sleeves and help you reach your business goals, I can work with you in either a group or private environment. For details, click here.
And if focus is what you need, check out my Finding Your Sweet Spot Niche Mastery System. Use coupon code SWEET50 this weekend to save 50% off. Good through midnight Saturday, September 14th.
About Marnie Pehrson Kuhns
Marnie Pehrson Kuhns is a Certified SimplyAlign Practitioner™ who uses music and creativity to mentor you past barriers, fears and doubts to discover, create, align with, and deliver your soul’s song (the mission, message or purpose you are on this earth to live). Marnie is a best-selling author with 31 fiction and nonfiction titles. If you'd like Marnie and her husband Dave to work with you personally on Your Great Reinvention, get a FREE 20-minute strategy session with Marnie here.
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