Swinging for success

In life, the difference between mediocrity and greatness is remarkably small.

Take baseball for example. The difference between a perennial all star on their way to the Hall of Fame and a part timer barely hanging on to his locker amounts to one hit per week.

That’s it. One hit per week is the difference between you know, that guy and YOU KNOW THAT GUY.?

Don’t believe me? Let’s run the numbers. The regular season of baseball runs for 6 full months from the beginning of April, through the end of September. That’s 26 weeks.

Now if we assume that the average Major League player gets 500 at bats in a season, a .250 hitter ends up with 125 hits over the course of a season. That’s good enough to be an almost every day utility(ish) player on most teams. Add one hit per week and that hitter is now tearing the cover off the ball with a .302 average! They’ll shower him in adjectives like unstoppable. The doors to restaurants that he didn’t even know existed will begin to open. Velvet ropes will part. Men will want to be him and women will want to be with him if that isn’t a completely outmoded phrase.

And all because of one extra hit per week.

Now this isn’t an idea that only exists on the baseball field. It’s everywhere.

I always ask my staff the same question; what are you doing to get that one extra hit per week?

If you’re currently looking for a job, how are you getting that one hit per week? If you’re trying to secure a promotion, how are you getting that one hit per week? If you’re looking for the best recruits for that role you need to fill (PS, I’m right here), how are you getting that one hit per week? If you’re trying to be the best leader for your team or best employee for your company, how are you getting that one hit per week?

It won’t be the same for everybody. That’s kind of the point. Your extra hit is whatever it is that makes you unique. All you need to do is ask yourself two simple questions. What makes me special, and how can I be great at it?