The Warm Up

I took my boys to the Mets game this past weekend. Wanting to avoid traffic, we left the house early and arrived at the game an hour early.

Being the avid baseball fans that they are, I took Ryan, Kevin and Kyle into Citi Field early to watch the team take batting practice and "warm-up."

The whole team was on the field. Hitters were taking batting practice. Fielders were taking ground balls and outfielders were "shagging" fly balls.  Pitchers were "loosening" their arms out in center field and the bullpen. This was all happening one hour before the game was scheduled to start.

So I thought...what time do these guys get here. The game has a 4:00pm start time. It's a little after 3:00pm and the whole team is here, in uniform, out on the field preparing for the game. Do they get here ninety minutes early or is it two hours. Whatever it is, I am impressed.

Then I thought to myself.....my average client. He/she opens each day at 8:30am or 9:00am. Some open earlier, some open later.  If I were to be at their Agency one hour before "start time," what would I see? Would the team be there? Maybe an hour is a little carried away. How about thirty minutes before start time? Or fifteen minutes? Or do they pull up at 8:55am, run inside and start their day at 9:00am.

Curtis Granderson bats first for the Mets. If the game starts at 4:00pm, I wonder what his first at-bat would look like if he pulled up to the stadium at 3:55pm and walked straight out to the batters' box for his first at-bat.   He would probably strike out because he wasn't ready. So how does he get ready? He arrives ninety minutes or two hours early for the game. He "shags" fly balls in the outfield and takes "bp," or batting practice, an hour or so before his first at-bat. 

Then there's us. We show up five minutes early and as soon as we walk in the door...the phones start ringing and Mrs. Smith "pops in" with a question about her monthly account.  Her monthly account which is off by two lousy pennies.

Professional athletes are paid HUGE salaries for their performance in the game. To be at their best, they arrive early so they can prepare to be their best and perform at a HIGH level. But us. We show up five minutes early and never isolate ourselves or give ourselves to practice or simply "warm-up" before the lights go on and it's time to start the "game." I wonder, would we be better, would we achieve more, if we gave ourselves a chance to get ready or prepare before the first pitch each day.

If you want to "get better," consider arriving a little bit earlier for your next day. When you do, Don't jump right into the emails and beginning of day activities. But rather, spend time planning your day, reviewing word tracks, and mining for opportunities that you can capitalize on once the day officially begins. Without the extra time, we are more likely to strike out when the clock strikes 9:00am.

Author: Tim Lindon | Tim@TimLindon.com (Your 212 Coach)

---