Are You in the Right Position on the Business Field?

Last week the Baseball Winter Meetings saw several teams and players get deals done putting themselves in the best position heading into the upcoming season. As always, many players are going to be taking their talent to new cities in 2017.

Every offseason baseball players prepare themselves for a new season to embark on the journey of winning a World Series. What were your aspirations as 2015 wrapped up and felt the New Year providing new potential? Hopefully you’re happy with what you have accomplished and have momentum going into next year. Maybe you feel stuck or are just slightly unsatisfied though. If you want 2017 to provide a different result in some way, what changes are you going to make that will lead to being in a different place come this same time next year?

I had the chance to speak briefly with one of the greatest hitters of all time, Hall of Famer and Twins manager Paul Molitor at the Winter Meetings. It was during the 1992 Winter Meetings that he signed a three year contract to play in Toronto after spending the first 15 years of his career in Milwaukee. The Blue Jays were very aggressive once he became a free agent and were able to get a multi-year deal done with their eyes set on repeating as World Series champs in 1993.

Often being open minded to the potential for change can lead to new levels of success whether it be in baseball or business. 1993 is a great case study of this. After finishing atop the American League in hits during the regular season, Molitor stayed hot helping march the Blue Jays into the World Series by hitting nearly .400 to defeat the Chicago White Sox in the ALCS. He went on to hit an even .500 tying a World Series record en route to leading the Blue Jays to a World Series title and was named World Series MVP.

My college coach regularly said, "Little things become big things." The more time has passed I've realized how true this is in every area of life. Just being open to doing something different can be the spark to new ideas and in turn new heights. If Paul Molitor was not open minded to the potential of playing outside of Milwaukee, he would have finished his career with no World Series title or World Series MVP.

We are all in the on deck circle for 2017. The next couple weeks provide the chance to map out a plan on how you are going to hit your goals or determine how you are going to make needed changes in 2017. As 2014 wrapped up, I made the commitment to myself to move out of Milwaukee. I was tired of the cold, snow and depressing grey skies for so much of the year. I knew that I would be happier in a warmer year round climate and began to explore the best path for my career as I weighed different opportunities across the country. By January 2016, I secured moving to South Florida. This has been a great year for many reasons one being I don’t wake up wondering “What if?”.

Decide today to go all in on what it is you want to happen next year. Don’t rush by making an emotional decision that isn't right long term but don’t be complacent at the same time. Maybe it means changing industries, making a pivot with comparable skill sets, going back to school, making a complete career change or like myself moving to a new city. Just take a swing and find out how far it can fly. You'll look back on 2017 feeling no regret.

Luke Melms is the founder of Baseball and Business, a network of current/former college and pro baseball players determined on achieving as much in business as baseball. For more information visit www.baseballandbusiness.com. Also as a recruiter, I work with individuals all day in the process of seeking new opportunities. If I can be of help, please reach out to me directly at 954-489-2017 or [email protected].