Getting Up Early

Monday Morning Match is a quick post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

Getting Up Early

The subtle vibrations of my Fit Bit woke me up at 4:29am. I sat up, shook the sleep out of my eyes and became aware that I was in another hotel room, this time in a Pittsburgh suburb. It was Father’s Day.

I woke my daughter up as I headed to the shower and 35 minutes later we were on the road headed to the US Open at Oakmont Country Club. Although it was my third time attending our national championship of golf it was Riley’s first which is part of the reason for the early morning wake up call. She was excited to see some of the best players in the world compete up close and personal.

The other reason we arrived at the course at 6:03am was because the 3rd round, delayed due to weather earlier in the week, was set to resume at 7am so we figured it would be good to arrive early, see as much of the course as we could before the other 30,000 spectators arrived and filled the massive facility and watch the final players from the gallery ropes instead of five layers deep like it would be once everyone arrived.

By the time the 3rd round was complete at 8:35am, we had already seen 80% of the course, watched some amazing golf and were getting hungry…for lunch. Instead we grabbed a muffin and something cold to drink and headed for the driving range to watch the players arrive for the final round and start their warm-ups. With no action on the course for the next few hours the practice area and all merchandise tents were swarmed with patrons. We headed to the 1st tee to watch the first players tee off and then it would be time for lunch?

We kept making plans to visit one of the numerous concession stands along the course but then something distracted out attention. A great pairing on the tee sheet? A loud applause from one of the grandstands the USGA had surrounding the greens and tees? An errant tee shot by one of the best players in the world which gave all in attendance a smile that even though “these guys are good,” they still can hit one over in the rough just like the rest of us.

It finally happened as we were sitting high atop the 8th green grandstand (which gave us perfect views of 4 other holes besides the par three 8th). Riley started getting tired. The 4:30 wake up call mixed with a glorious Father’s Day sunny afternoon was starting to affect her energy level and the leaders were still over an hour from teeing off. Would we make it to the last putt as the sun was setting? The simple answer was “no.” We watched her favorite player Jordan Spieth pass by, made a quick visit to the souvenir tent and were ready to call it a day. After all, we still had about a 2 mile walk to catch the shuttle bus, a 25 minute ride to get our car and then a 3 hour drive back home to Central Ohio.

“Ladies & Gentlemen, this is the 3:30 tee time…” bellowed the Oakmont starter. We figured that  since we started the day watching the first tee shots hit, why not end the day watching the leaders tee off on the iconic first hole of Oakmont? After all, we had to walk all the way past the second hole (the farthest Eastern point of the sprawling property) anyway to catch our shuttle.

While it might have been a neat experience to witness Dustin Johnson hoisting the US Open Trophy, it was still an amazing experience to spend the day with my daughter. We pulled in our driveway, a little over 200 miles away from the 1st tee at Oakmont just in time to see the last golfer tap in his putt on the 18th hole. It was definitely a full day of golf and fun and friendship…and fatherhood.

What Gets You Up Early?

Riley was so excited to witness her first US Open that she almost couldn’t sleep the night before. Selfishly I like to think she was simply excited to spend Father’s Day walking with her mentor and golfing buddy. Whatever it was, her enthusiasm and energy was contagious. What is it that gets you up early?

Are you excited for the opportunities you have in front of you this week? Is there a new listing coming this week or will one of your buyers finally be pulling the trigger and submitting an offer? Is this the week you look to hire that new assistant or team member that will help you take your business to the next level? Do you have a new marketing campaign in your head that you need to implement as we head into the 3rd quarter of the year?

Seriously, think about what you have to look forward to this week and set your alarm. Get to work as early on it as you can. I know you’ll have a good week building relationships, solving problems and having fun. Who knows…maybe you’ll be so excited you won’t even need to set your alarm.