On almost a daily basis, is playing racquetball during the lunch hour at the K-State gym/rec center.

I played the sport here and there in college, and a little after college for a few years, but I was never serious about it.

After we moved to Manhattan a couple years ago, I crossed paths with an acquaintance who plays racquetball regularly. He invited me to play, and I did.

While playing, I met a few others who play often, and began playing with them as well.

In the beginning, I was terrible…I mean, these guys schooled me every time. But I enjoyed the game and the exercise, so I kept with it.

Through showing up at the courts quite often, I was fortunate enough to get in the weekly schedule of a very experienced player…and since then, I’m grateful to have learned a LOT of strategy and techniques from this guy.

But here’s the part you may not have expected…

He’s 80, going on 81 years old, and still plays a solid hour of racquetball every single weekday!

I play him once or twice per week now, and to this day, he still beats me 3 out of 5 times…it’s amazing.

I’m 33, still young, so I have athleticism and mobility to make up for any experience or skill that I lack.

But he has over 40 years of playing experience, that has created precision and perfection of skill that trumps my youth every time.

His mentorship in the game has helped me advance more than anything else.

And, of all the things he’s taught me, one line stands out above everything else.

…Possibly because he’s drilled it into my head from repeating it so many times!

Yesterday, I was down in a match 13 to 3 at one point, but came back to win, and afterward, he commended me on focusing on this one bit of advice.

What was it?

“One point at a time”

…When you’re down, don’t think about the huge gap you may have to overcome to catch up or win. Don’t beat yourself up over how far you’re down.

Just focus on getting one point at a time.

Hold your ground, and inch your way forward.

Before you know it, you’re back in the game.

And that’s when it hit me yesterday, that’s just the way it works in building your business online.

If you are nowhere near where you wanted to be, haven’t accomplished what goals you’ve set out for, don’t beat yourself up over it.

Just like in the game of racquetball, it’s okay to get mad at yourself for just one minute…enough time to learn from your mistake, understand what you can do to correct it or avoid it happening again, then concentrate, and move forward.

…but after that moment of self-correction, you must let it go.

You must always, always, always, GET BACK UP.

You have no choice.

Your business depends on you moving forward.

You can’t let mistakes or past under-achievements hold you back. Trust me, we ALL have slip-ups and setbacks. The most successful people in whatever space or industry you’re in, all have them.

But when they happen, simply tell yourself…

“One point at a time.”

With that mindset, you’ll be unstoppable.

So, my parting advice for today?

Ask yourself each day, “What’s the 1 Thing I can do today that will get me closer to my goals?”

…and then do THAT thing first!

If you do screw up or get distracted, give yourself permission to be angry for just a few minutes, correct yourself, and then keep moving forward one point at a time.

You got this.

Brent W

 

P.S. One of my favorite books I can recommend you read and apply what you learn to your life and business is “The ONE Thing“.

It’s from that book that I learned the quote mentioned above, “What’s the 1 thing I can do today, such that by doing it everything will be easier or unnecessary?”

…That book made a tremendous impact on how I set goals and schedule my daily tasks to get the most accomplished in the least amount of time…so I can work less, and live more.