My son Ben plays Little League. He loves the game, but like all the boys on his team, he puts a lot of pressure on himself to perform really well every time he takes the field, both on offense and defense.
I understand this desire. It’s universal for anyone who wants to succeed in what he or she loves to do. Those of us following our passions as entrepreneurs both online and offline know this feeling well.
The challenges we face each day in our online worlds are no different than the challenges Ben and baseball players all over the globe face every time they take the field: some days we will hit 4 for 4 and knock in a bunch of runs. Other days, we will strike out every time we step up to the plate and bobble the ball anytime it comes our way in the field.
It’s all part of playing the game. And it’s all okay.
Since opening day, I’ve been at every one of his games, watching him and his teammates develop their skills and tap into their talents as hitters, pitchers, outfielders, and infielders. I see in their darling little faces reflections of some of my favorite Big Leaguers over the years: Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, Cal Ripken, Kevin Youklis, Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki…men who were once little guys on school playing fields just like Ben and his team, dreaming of making it to “The Show” one day.
Most days as I’m working toward my goals, I feel like a Little Leaguer still learning the ropes, still figuring out what all the signs and plays mean. I look to some of the online Hall-of-Famers, people like Jonathan Budd and Mike Dillard, and think, “Someday…”
Which is what led me to shoot this short video last night before heading out to Ben’s game. The subject of making it big online has been on my mind a lot lately and like lots of people who are new and trying to figure this whole thing out, I don’t always remember to celebrate the little victories…
You don’t have to bat 1000 to win big...
I was inspired to share that one stat about batting averages because of all the incredible things about baseball, one of the most amazing to me is how little it actually takes to be counted among the Greats.
Consider these statistics about lifetime batting averages for three incredible players from different eras:
Babe Ruth = .342
Derek Jeter= .316
Jackie Robinson=.311
What these numbers mean (for anyone who isn’t familiar with baseball) is that Babe Ruth averaged reaching base 3.4 times out of every 10 times he stepped up to bat. Robinson, 3.1 times. And the Yankees current captain, Mr. Derek Jeter: 3.6 times out of ten does he reach base.
Indeed, in baseball, you can be OUT seven times out of ten and STILL make millions and millions of dollars a year AND be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame!
Same can be said for us entrepreneurs. Out of 10 attempts to get something right, whether it’s a blog post or a PPC campaign or a video…we can strike out 7 of those 10 times and STILL see great results. It’s so important to remember that. Truly.
Even the best of the best experience slumps every now and again, but one thing is for sure: the slumps never last. If we commit to stepping up to bat day after day no matter what, the law of averages is on our side.
It’s like I tell Ben every time he steps up to the plate: “Just make contact, kiddo. That’s all you gotta do.”
Step up to the plate enough times and make contact. Don’t be afraid to swing the bat. Even if you strike out, you still took action. And at the end of the day, focused action is what matters most of all.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some peanuts and Cracker Jacks right about now! 🙂
Batter Up!
Now that was a cool inspirational piece – well written – and thanks for explaining the stats as I know nothing about baseball. So, with your explanation, the point was solidly made. Thanks!
Mary,
I love this comparison! You and your son are BOTH going to be Hall of Famers for sure.
As the great Joe Schroeder says, “You don’t have to get it right, just get it going.”
I also like this quote from Jim Chao, “Don’t worry about doing it right, just do it more.”
Hope you had a Phenomenal Mother’s Day! 🙂
– Yo
Mary,
Those numbers should really open people’s eyes. Focusing on the negative side of things and asking “why didn’t this work”? – really brings people down..
You’re right, we need to focus on the good things – that 30% – and say how can I do that again, and this time to it better..
thanks for this great video and great message
talk soon
Hector Cuevas
Thanks Mary Lou, its a really good point to remember. The important thing is to have fun and keep playing. If you let the strikeouts discourage you and convince you to quit, you’ll never get to know what a home run feels like.
You are soooo right Mary Lou. Celebrate your successes and stop focusing on what didn’t work. Learn from your non-successful ‘at bats’, and get back up to the plate!
And don’t forget you can be more successful with a ‘team’ than without. Start building relationships.
Thank you for your comments, Debbie! Nothing can happen if we don’t step up to the plate! 🙂
Thanks, Rowena! I appreciate you stopping by!
Glad you stopped by, Hector! All we can do is learn from what didn’t work and make what does work even better…I believe it’s possible to develop “muscle memory” in business just like in athletics. Teach our minds what is working so the odds of repeating those things increase!
Thank you so much, Yo! Your words are inspirational! 🙂
Glad you learned something new, Richard! Your comments made my day! 🙂
What an awesome connection Mary Lou! It’s so true that you need to celebrate your achievements and learn from your mistakes. You will fail far more times than you succeed, it’s just the nature of the beast.
Like you hinted at, keeping a positive spirit and pushing forward with that positive momentum is the true path to success.
Major LOA on this one…I actually just posted a quote on this subject via Facebook yesterday, and I’d love to share it with you and your readers on here:
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
Thanks for the wonderful message Mary Lou! Looking forward to learning and growing with you! 🙂
Jomo
Hi Jomo! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by my blog! I am so glad you enjoyed this post…Love the Oprah quote. I look forward to learning and growing with you, too! 🙂
What a great post Mary Lou! That is so true that you can make mistakes and still do well. I think people get frustrated with mistakes and failures and give up. Thank you for sharing this great message!
Very timely post Mary Lou.
I was going through a bit of a dip this weekend & your post about not having to bat a perfect game really supports me. 🙂 It is about moving forward, not giving up. there is always a victory of some sort right there, if you choose to see it.
Thanks so much. I love it!!!!
Val 🙂
Val, I totally understand the peaks and valleys you speak of. I certainly fall into a “hitting slump” more often than I want to admit, but unless we go into those “dips,” we can’t fully appreciate the amazing “streaks” we have, too! Thanks for your comments!
This is really good Mary Lou. We all go through rough patches.Work through any fears.I really liked this post
Beverly
Loved your post. A quick check of the stats also show us this. Babe Ruth struck out 1330 times and Derek Jeter has done it a whopping 1466 times. It just goes to show that even the best were great at messing up. The point to remember in all this as you pointed out is they showed up, got in the batters box and gave it their best shot. If you don’t swing the bat you never hit the ball.
Don
Hey Don, Thanks for sharing those strike-out stats. In some ways, those numbers are more compelling than their batting averages! And like you said, just getting into the box day after day makes all the difference.
Thanks, Beverly! Appreciate you and your comments!
Thanks for stopping by, Angela! I appreciate your comments! 🙂
Great Post Mary. Loved the video. My mentor is always telling me I must fail my way to success which is right in line with your post. Color of the grass is outstanding. Here in Colorado we have a more pastel green.
Great stuff Mary Lou,
It is all about be willing to step up to the plate and swing the bat. We will all have strike outs, foul balls, pops ups, and line drives. The cool thing is if we keep swinging, we will all hit home runs too.
Thanks for sharing a great analogy.
Scott
Mary Lou,
I love your wise reminder.
All success is big and the successes that look ‘small’ are just as important because they build the big ones.
I love your video as well.
You are a beauty in a very inviting back yard.
Thank you for inspiring me,
Venus 🙂
I played a fair amount of baseball. My coach used to tell us “Sometimes you win… sometimes you lose… but you’ve got to get dressed for them all.” I don’t know whose quote that is, but I always remembered him telling us that. Especially when we played a team we knew we didn’t have much chance against.
I really appreciate the concept you raise, here, Mary Lou. Don’t focus on where the ball might end up, just wait for your pitch and be sure to get the bat off your shoulder.
And, I might add, some of the great players who don’t have Babe Ruth or Yaz name recognition, simply knew hot to put the ball on the ground. Once the ball hits the ground, anything might happen. So keep yourself off the bench by learning to keep the ball in play. We don’t all have to be the Babe, but if we just make contact, we’ll stay in the game.
Hi David, Sounds like you had a pretty awesome coach! I think playing athletics is such a critical part of growing up — so many life lessons can be learned through playing a game. It’s interesting that you bring up the point about the lesser-known players in baseball history. Some of the world record holders are not household names but rather guys who showed up day after day and did exactly what you said: put the ball on the ground. Thanks for your thoughtful insights!
Thank you for your kind words, Venus! I always appreciate you stopping by my blog. 🙂
Glad my analogy resonated with you, Scott! We will be swinging our bats for many years to come!
Thanks for the grass compliment, Nelson! I had just had it mowed right before I shot this video and it looked so nice. We have had a wet spring here in the Northwest so everything is VERY green and lush right now. Check back with me in August…it will probably be more on the brown side!