getting to the point...

a free newsletter about succeeding in the business of life

 

DECEMBER 2003 Issue

Don’t Look Back

I love to ride horses over jumps. The process is exhilarating. I was thinking about jumping on horseback the other day and I recalled from many years ago the words of a riding instructor talking about show jumping with horses. He said, “When you hear the jump rail get clunked by your horse's hoof, DON'T LOOK BACK! Keep both eyes forward and focus on the next jump, you can’t fix anything back there!

That “clunk” sound is very distracting to the rider. It is a dull thump of hoof on wood that all riders recognize. It means one of two possible things have happened. The rail has only been ticked and is still up and the rider will not be charged with faults (penalty points) or, sadly, the rail will fall from the jump standards and the rider will be charged with faults on her ride. Not only is the sound distracting, the temptation to turn to see if the rail came down is powerful. It blurs the rider's focus on the next fence. A rider already has his eyes and attention on the next jump as he clears the rail directly under him. Timing is critical and focus is imperative.

Good timing and good concentration.

So you are starting to see the analogy already. Competing on a horse in a jumping class is much like the way we all do our jobs or run our businesses. The jump class is a series of jumps of different types over a mapped course. The horse and rider are a team that meets each challenge head on.

Your job is to be prepared to do the best you can on each jump in your day. Sometimes we tick, knockdown or crash on the jumps in our way. The riding coach has the right idea when he says, don't look back. He means the next jump is coming quickly from the future to the present and the past jump is history. The past is water over the dam, under the bridge and out to sea. You need to focus on the next hurdle with all of your power of concentration. The time for analysis of what happened is later, when the round is over. Too often, we get hung up on what has happened instead of what is happening right now and what is the next hurdle. We know that we can't change history but that doesn't stop us from dwelling on it. I don't suspect my horse has spent much of his day worrying about which jump rail he knocked down. He is only concerned with the matters at hand, that being the next jump or his next flake of hay. Why is it that horse sense comes easy only to horses?

When you understand the importance of today, here and now, you are focused and ready for progress. When thoughts meander back to “knocked rails” from previous experiences you increase the chance of losing focus and repeating the same mistakes from back at the last jump.

Keep the words of the savvy horse trainer in your mind has you pass over your jumps today...Don't look back!

Here is what others have said about not looking back…

"Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you."
-Satchel Paige

“Don't look back, a new day is breakin'
It's been too long since I felt this way
I don't mind where I get taken
The road is callin', today is the day”
-Boston


Thanks for reading! Until next time, keep your eyes on the next jump ahead of you.

Doug

Doug Emerson is a business success coach who assists individuals and businesses ready for change and growth.

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