Have The Timing Of Your Life

Long ago, two people taught me there’s nothing more important in our lives than the concept of “timing.” 

Yes, timing: A magical intangible permeating our lives and careers, and influencing our chances of success or failure. 

Fortunately, I learned, we can control a great deal of our “personal timing.” 

The first lesson came from my father, although ironically he’s never been the kind to offer up much “Dad” advice. 

When I was a teenager, we were watching an NFL game on TV. Our defense was doing well. He turned to me and asked, “What’s the most important thing in football?” 

I replied, “Defense.” (Brilliant, huh?)

“No,” he said. “It’s momentum, just like with anything else. If you have it, you’ve got to keep it going. If it’s being taken away from you, you have to figure out how to get it back. Win the momentum battle, and you’ll win the game.”

I’ve never forgotten that.  

Then some years later, on the path to becoming somewhat of an accomplished martial artist (although you’d never guess it now!), I finally started to make my front punch effective, after months of having opponents easily block it.

My karate teacher asked me: “What’s different?” 

I started to explain how my punch was getting faster/stronger/straighter, when he abruptly cut me off. 

“No,” he said. “Your punch is the same. Your timing is improved. Recognizing both your timing and your opponent’s, you’re creating better opportunities.”

I never forgot that, either.

And so focusing on timing came to serve me well, in personal life, and career. 

In sales, for example, we are taught to “serve the customer,” by getting to “the need behind the need,” “win-win,” “relational over transactional,” and the like. All good stuff. 

Yet the most successful professionals are those who study the timing affecting a potential customer, and focus intently on specific “deal momentum.” In business – and life – sometimes we are on offense, sometimes defense, but both should be in the pursuit of creating and keeping positive momentum. 

I believe practitioners of marketing, public relations –all the business disciplines and those located in the C-suites included – could be better served by understanding this truth in timing.

 At home with loved ones, with friends, or at work in discussions where gained consensus is essential to move forward, consider: Are you at times stymied, or frustrated by less-than-optimal outcomes? 

It may be a case of “bad timing.” But you can change that.