In our house, watching the last round of the U.S. Open Golf Tournament is a Father’s Day tradition. This round is quite possibly the toughest test in golf. Only the best of the best make it here. Like any sport or other pursuit, the professionals here always make it look so easy. Each year as I watch them, I wonder: What makes these guys so good? How do they make it look so easy? What is the difference between the best and the rest?
I once pointed out to my son that the difference between a great amateur and a pro (in any field) is often hard to discern. Most folks will tell you it comes down to their “mental attitude,” “a lot of lucky breaks,” or “knowing someone in the business.” Yeah, sometimes. Maybe.
More often than not, the reason the pros got so good is that they practiced their butts off! Sure, some of them were graced with great balance, great hand-eye coordination, or a great voice; yep, many even did get breaks or knew someone in the business. But it was the practicing that took them to the top and let them stay there. Of course, that’s just part of it.
What are you doing to “Be a pro?” Are you practicing? Are you working on your skill set? Refining your “swing?” Not literally, of course, but you are doing something to get better at what you do, right?
Some folks are happy with just being a good amateur. They don’t worry much about setting themselves apart from everyone else. They’re not interested in being the “go to” guy or gal. They’re not going to last long in the new mortgage business.
Make no mistake; the Internet is here to stay. Internet lending is here to stay. But if the Internet means anything for business, it means that we’re going to see near constant change in the way consumers expect us to do business.
We must reinvent ourselves. That means finding out what works by trying new things, analyzing our results and then trying something else. Well all have to beg, borrow and steal from those around us, taking what works and working it into the way we work−and then practice! Practice until we get it right. And then get ready to change again.
This is not easy work. And people who are satisfied with being an amateur will never do it. Professionals will. And that’s the other part of it. Most of the time, what sets the real pros apart from the rest of us is the pure passion required to keep working on being the best. They know how to get up and give it their best each and every day and they have a drive to do just that. And so can you. The best news: you can start right now.
