Selective Staffing Insights

Industry news, advice and resources from our expert recruiters.

Life is Like a Bowling League

Bowling is a sport that is often looked down upon, in reality, to be a good bowler you need a very specific skill set. This is the same in life no matter what career you choose. Competitive bowling can teach you many life lessons that you can carry on with you throughout your career.

  1. There Are a Lot of Ways to Roll the Ball

Every Bowler has a specific or unique way to roll the ball. Everyone learns differently and has their own sense of style to the game. There can be similarities, but everyone learns and adapts their approach to the foul line at their own pace. The same is true in life. No one person’s thought process or approach to anything is the same as another’s. It is important to remember this when dealing with individuals in the workplace.

  1. Team Changes Happen.

Saying goodbye to a teammate can be challenging but is sometimes necessary for the success of your team. In bowling, wrist and back injury is very common. When injury happens, you need to have someone who can jump in at a moment’s notice. With businesses, Projects change, employees can either resign or get fired. Any change can cause for different team members. Change is something that happens in everyday life, it is good to be able to roll with the punches.

  1. Momentum Is Real

Bowling relies on Momentum. Your walk up to the foul line and ball speed is crucial to being a great bowler. Along with having technical skills, people tend to bowl to the same level and energy of those on their team. This means if one or more person is bowling either poor or stellar, there is a higher probability that the rest of the team will inadvertently follow their lead. This idea is the same in a business environment. Whether your team is producing results or not, you will unintentionally do the same. Remember that no matter the motivation of those around you, you need to dig deep and push yourself to keep your internal momentum going.

  1. Bouncing Back from an Open

There are 4 common “easy spares” that as a bowler, you should always make. However, pending oil conditions or accuracy that night, they are frequently missed shots. When a bowler misses one or two, they are disappointed with themselves. Missing more than that in a night can get inside the bowlers’ head and ruin their set (the series of 3 games). Once in that rut, it can be very difficult to bounce back from. In a business environment, it is easy to get wrapped up in setbacks. Obstacles can snowball into annoyance and effect the rest of your day, just like on the lanes. It is important to remember that everyone has bad days, how you bounce back from a bad situation and turn it around it what matters.

  1. Teamwork Will Help You Succeed

Aside from being in the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) or competing in a singles tournament, bowling is a team sport. You are not bigger than your team. Although how you perform matters internally, externally it does not matter unless most or all of your team is bowling up to their standards as well. This is important to remember in a workplace setting. Although most of your job tasks rely on you, the work you do is like a puzzle piece. It all fits into a bigger picture and you must work with those around you to solve the puzzle.

Most bowlers enjoy the fact that the game constantly needs adjustment in both physical and mental aspects. The same could be said in daily life. Most people do not like being complacent and enjoy working to achieve new goals. However, it is important to make the learning process fun and not discouraging. It is evident that the business world isn’t always like a bowling league, but there are lessons everywhere. Take inspiration from multiple areas of your life and open your mind in how it applies to your work or everyday life.

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