For many, myself included, baseball is much more than a sport or game, it's full of life lessons. Many movies, books and stories have been told that cause us to reflect not only on the stories being told and experiences shared but cause us to reflect on the things that truly matter in our life. More often than not, you will find great examples of courage, strength, passion and true human spirit.
The game of baseball can teach us a lot about the game of life. Baseball has a way of bringing out every possible emotion in us whether we're playing on the team or we are simply a spectator.
Like many of you, baseball has been and still is a big part of my life. From watching my dad coach several teams, to attending the Boston Red Sox games with him at Fenway Park to now enjoying the game with our daughters and watching my husband scream at the tv as his team does something either really great or something completely frustrating.
I think great similarities between the game of baseball and the game of life and yes, even real estate can be drawn:
The Team
Baseball and real estate create interactions. Many of us are on a team - brokers, work with other agents, our clients, stagers, mortgage consultants, marketing and social media consultants. Just as a baseball team requires working together towards common goals and towards your dream of helping people realize their dreams, being a part of a team requires great commitment from everyone.
Being a Real Estate agent gives you the opportunity to affect someone's life in a very positive way. The game of baseball can teach us many lessons and serve as an inspiration to us in everything we do in helping clients realize their American dream of owning their own home.
The Slump
Just like some of our favorite baseball players, we find ourselves in a slump. Perhaps our markets have not rebounded as other areas have. Everyone hits a slump at some point or another. We can learn a lot from baseball players who find that despite all the practice, commitment and desire they have, sometimes they just won't connect that bat to the ball. Do they give up? Follow this advice:
"Whenever I went into a slump, I went back to fundamentals. Wait on the ball, be quick, use a light bat and choke up." ~Ted Williams~
Change some things up, tackle some of the small, more manageable tasks on your overall marketing plan and perhaps you will come out not only swinging again but getting those hits.
Hitting one out of the Park
"Hitting one out of the park" has to be an amazing feeling for a player and can be related to real estate - getting that home sold or finding that dream home for your client.
Handling Defeats
Sometimes we find nothing is working the way we want it to just like in a game. The team practices and has been playing well only to have everything fall apart in front of the fans. Even the great players strike out some days. Sometimes a deal falls through, the financing doesn't work out, a seller doesn't accept the offer, or a client changes their mind. We must remember:
"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!" ~Movie - A Cinderella Story
Not just a physical game.
Baseball is not just a physical game but a game that requires great thinking and concentration. Things are happening fast, one play or mistake can change the game entirely. The same goes for real estate. Like baseball it's physically demanding - running from one listing to another, open houses, and just being on the go constantly. It also requires great thinking and concentration. Are you able to think outside the box, do things differently if they're not working, and change things to meet the needs of each individual client? The market is constantly changing, the players are always changing and you have to be willing and able to adjust to all those changes.
Baseball even encourages us and dares us to be different. Ever hear of a rally cap?
A Rally Cap is a baseball cap worn inside-out or in another unconventional manner (backwards, sideways) by players or fans, in order to will a team into a come-from-behind scenario, as a sign of good luck and usually occurs late in the game.
While a rally cap may be primarily associated with baseball superstition, I think the real estate industry and many of us dealing with things in our own lives, can benefit from wearing a rally cap. Who knows perhaps it will spark a comeback for us all!
Throughout my childhood I watched my dad coach many baseball teams. He always taught and insisted his players do three things:
- Play to the best of their abilities (even when losing)
- Have fun
- Be a good sport whether they won or lost
In his mind, there was no place for crying in baseball and so I find myself taking my dad's advice, wiping away my tears, putting on my rally cap and hoping that my dad's outcome in his "game of life" has a positive outcome. This post is dedicated to my father, my mentor, my hero and the strongest man I've ever known. I love you dad and I'm wearing my rally cap with the hope that I can turn the outcome of your game around.
"Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off... the right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases." ~Rick Maksian
Did you see any similarities between baseball and how you approach real estate?
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Ready to take your Marketing to new levels? Anne Marie Malfi ~ Malfi Marketing Solutions.com ~ Copyright 2009
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