It Ain’t Over ’til it’s Over

“Don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched.”
“There is many a slip between the cup and the lip.”
The wisdom of these says came home to me last evening. My wife and I went to watch the Belmont men’s basketball team play down the road at Middle Tennessee State University. After leading for most of the game, Belmont lost to MTSU as our team’s offense went cold. When we got home our beloved Green Bay Packers were playing on Monday Night Football. They were up 21 – 12 in the third quarter. But then, Seattle scored a touchdown — and then another. That victory that had already played out in our minds, was also taken away from us.
The lessons here should be taken to heart by any entrepreneur. I can remember so many times when I was active in business letting my mind run ahead of where we actually were. So many big contracts that I was sure we would secure, never came to pass. And countless business deals that were “sure things’ didn’t turn out the way we thought they would. And when we first began talking with folks about selling our business, how many times I began to imagine what I would do with all the money we assumed we would be getting, only to have the deal go bad.
As I’ve said many times before, entrepreneurship is so much like playing golf. You birdie the first hole and begin thinking you are going to play a great round, only to score a 8 on the next hole. Or you follow a 39 on the front nine with a 52 on the back. (Both of these examples come from my personal memories,,,), One great shot never seems to determine the match, but one bad one can.
“That’s why we play 18 holes.”
Just because you score a victory today against your competition does not mean that you will have continued success tomorrow. Keep yourself grounded. Talk about a deal does not guarantee a final contract. Encouraging words from a customer does not always mean a sale.
“Keep your mind in the present.”
Why are there so many sayings that relate to this same message? Because for many of us, it is human nature to be optimistic. And although optimism is a good trait to have when you are an entrepreneur, that same optimism can lead you to “get ahead of yourself.” Although these thoughts are impossible to avoid, we must be diligent to never act on them carelessly. I have seen too many business owners commit to expenses for a contract that never gets signed. Or they start spending money assuming their business is about to sell, only to have that final deal not come to pass.
Remember….
“It isn’t over until the fat lady sings.”