What Can Today’s Masters Golf Opening Round Teach You About Persistence and Perseverance?

Wow!

Fred Couples with the outright lead.

Tom Watson and Phil Mickelson one shot back.

And Tiger one behind them.

Could you ask for a more exciting opening round to a Masters Golf Tournament?

So many story lines…so little time.

Fred Couples – lighting up the Champions Tour with three wins…carrying it out to the Masters with his best round ever (great for us Washingtonians).

Tom Watson – after his great British Open runner-up finish, showing that wasn’t a fluke.

Phil Mickelson – showing he’s back on form after off-the-course challenges that made focusing on golf difficult the past few years.

And Tiger Woods – after a complete meltdown over the last several months, comes back to have his best opening round at the Masters ever and very much in contention.

That is one of the great things about sport.

No matter what is swirling around in the background.

The drama of the game takes over once the first ball is put in play.

Your life and your business are no different.

Business and life is no different.

We all have issues.  Whether it’s family challenges or character weakness or advancing age.

You still must get up every day.  Do what is required.  And hopefully achieve as much of your God-given potential as you can.

Everyone wins.

And ultimately we all benefit when you suck it up and forge ahead.

You build character.

And we benefit as a society.

Applaud excellence.

One thing I absolutely admire is people giving their all and achieving great results…day in and day out.

Whether it is top golfers at The Masters.

Or me or you.

People persevering and persisting against the odds is what makes America great.

And is what makes watching The Masters enjoyable too.

Your challenge.

When you get up tomorrow.

Remember this challenge.

You can compete with the best.  You can make a difference.

Go out and make your contribution count.

Tom Watson's Near Miss

Watching Tom Watson play "The Open" at Turnberry this week, I was caught up in the drama of Tom possibly winning his 6th Open Championship at 59 years old (to become the oldest winner ever).

There were great subplots like Tiger Woods' implosion causing him to miss the cut on Friday. There was the flashbacks to the Watson/Nicholas rivalry that Watson won the last time Watson won at this same golf course.

The crowds hung on every shot and hoped that this would be a glorious example of history unfolding...

...it didn't happen.

But it was amazing to watch just the same and Tom certainly gave it his all in gentlemanly fashion. Even after he totally collapsed in the four hole playoff, he exhibited class.


So what does this mean for business?

In business as well as in sports, momentum means so much.

One minute everything is perfect and the next you could be rolling into bankrupcy. Too big to fail? Just ask the auto companies. How about the banks?

There are examples everywhere where companies seemed to be soaring skyward, doing everything right. Then something went haywire. It could be a little thing. And then the momentum shifted. Then it picked up speed...in the wrong direction.

Where's you business momentum going?

If it's going in the right way, are you nurturing it?

If it's going the wrong way, what are you doing to interrupt the cycle?