It was a regular Saturday afternoon. My husband and I were tossing around lunch ideas when we settled on a local burger joint.
I ordered a double hamburger with avocado spread, and he went for a Reuben burger. While we waited, a college basketball game played on the TV above the counter.
Now, I’m not exactly a basketball expert, but I was keeping up. It was the Fourth Quarter, and the score was tight: 73–70.
One player from the trailing team got fouled.
He stepped up to the free throw line.
My husband and I were on edge.
He took the shot…
And missed.
You ever take a shot that didn’t land?
Yeah. Me too.
The player rubbed his head, visibly frustrated. I shrieked, “Oh man!” and turned to my husband.
“That free throw probably doesn’t feel so ‘free’ now,” I said.
“It might cost them the game.”
It triggered some memories of when I felt like I was standing at the free throw line as a solo professional, especially because there was no one else to pass the ball to.
It’s just me, my instincts and a lot of pressure to perform.
Even with all my experience and being confident that I know my stuff, there are times when I still miss:
– Like the prospective client that I was sure was going to say yes after having a great consultation call
– Like a follow-up email that never got sent
– Like the social media post I forgot to schedule
It’s frustrating, especially when you feel like you should have it all figured out by now.
But here’s the thing…
That player who missed the shot? He wasn’t bad. Not even close.
He had already scored 22 points and made several key assists.
You could tell that he was experienced on the court and knew what plays to make. He was confident, and skilled.
And as a solo professional that’s what motivates me to still show up and take shots.
I don’t let the missed plays convince me to give up or believe that I’m not good enough.
And yes, those misses do hold some weight, but it doesn’t mean that you’re not skilled.
We just need to keep stepping up to the line because missing isn’t failing.
It’s another opportunity to get it right.
Another opportunity to shoot again.
It’s just a reminder that we’re just human and that we’re still in the game until we’re not.
So keep shooting away.
The Bottom Line:
So yeah, we might miss sometimes, but we need to keep showing up and we need to keep taking the shot.
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Chuckle of the day! 😂
“I treat follow-up emails like free throws…
I mean to make them, but somehow they keep bouncing off.
Shamayne Brown is a virtual assistant and the founder of Camp Virtual Assistance.
She works with solo professionals and small business owners who are ready to invest in their business and need the support that she offers.
She specializes in creating email newsletters as well as other admin and creative design tasks.
Click here to connect on LinkedIn.
Click here to set up a discovery call.
