Follow-Through = Momentum by Suzanne Scheideker Cook
“In golf as in life, it is the follow-through that makes the difference.” - Anonymous
As long as I can remember, being active in different sports has been part of my life. My mom and dad were avid tennis players and taught us how to play tennis when we were barely old enough to hold a kid-sized racquet, and to this day, I still love to play tennis. Bowling and golfing also have become favorite past-times.
Tennis, bowling, and golf seem to have nothing in common except for a ball which varies in size. I have learned though that there is a critical similarity in all three sports – the follow-through. In sports, follow-through is defined as continuing one’s movement after the ball has been struck or thrown. In life, follow-through means to continue an action or a task to its conclusion. Why is follow-through important in sports and in life? I have found that it builds the energy and power needed to achieve goals both large and small while keeping them consistent with my values.
I am sharing some lessons that I have learned the hard way. Hopefully, they will help you build momentum in your professional and personal life.
When you say that you will do something, you need to follow-through and do it. So, if you volunteered for the company’s picnic set-up committee and that means showing up at 5:00 a.m. to help, and you’re not an early morning riser, then think twice before volunteering. That being said, doing something that is out of your comfort zone can be a good thing. In this instance, you will get to see the sunrise, meet new people, and help boost your company’s morale.
It happens to all of us. Our enthusiasm wanes before the task we promised to do is completed. So, the BIG question to ask yourself is, “Is this my passion?” If not, then why are you doing it? If you are passionate about it, even the tedious parts of it will be easier to start and finish.
Keep track of what you say you’ll do. Have a calendar handy and a schedule. Look at your calendar and your schedule before you say “yes.” Everyone needs some down time. Do you have enough of it scheduled in?
Are you being realistic with how long it’s going to take, how much effort you’ll have to put in, and the satisfaction you’ll derive from doing it? Now, add 30 minutes to each thing on your calendar to allow for complications. What does your schedule look like now?
If your calendar is full and/or you are not following through on your commitments, pare down. (This is easier to say than to do.) If you are stepping back from being involved in an organization or an activity that involves others, don’t leave them in the lurch. Remember the Golden Rule and help fill the gap.
Give yourself deadlines and stick to them. (I find it helpful to write the deadlines down in my planner.)
When we fall short on our commitments, it’s easy to feel guilty and beat ourselves up. We waste a lot of time and energy doing this. Your personal challenge is to track how successful you are in following through on your commitments that achieve your goals and when you fall short, use the energy to move forward instead of beating yourself up!
