Every summer, I go with some of my best friends to a cabin about one hour northwest of Minneapolis for 4-5 days to hang out, play golf and generally have way too much fun. It’s always one of the best weeks of the year, and we call it the Golf Weekend of Spite (GWOS). Oh yeah – it’s a big deal.
I spent the drive home from our latest event (a couple of weeks ago) reflecting on what the GWOS means to me and what I’ve learned from it over the years. The more I thought, the more I realized that I was coming up with bigger themes I’ve learned and applied over the years. So why not share?
A few of my thoughts:
Life doesn’t always have to be competitive. Most people know that I’m a pretty competitive person. No matter what we’re doing, I take it pretty seriously and give it my best. But I’ve learned that losing happens – and it’s okay, as long as it’s done with grace. I’m also learning to enjoy the time and the laughs as much or more than the results. After all, we don’t remember the result of every game – we remember the jokes we told and things we experienced along the way. It’s the same way in business…let’s focus on enjoying the journey and the day-to-day grind, and try to elevate that alongside results.
Good friends are absolutely gold. Everyone needs someone in their life that they can be completely themselves around – no judgment, all support, no matter what. I’m lucky to have several people – wife, family and friends – that I can count on like this, and everyone at the GWOS is among them. We have different careers, political beliefs, etc., but we’re all friends first and we’re there for each other no matter what. The older I get, the more valuable I find those connections and grateful I am for them. I also appreciate more as time passes that keeping it that way is a choice that we all continue to make together. I don’t take any of it for granted.
We all have our roles – so own them and do the best you can. At the GWOS, over time, we’ve gravitated toward responsibilities and tasks that suit us. We have our designated grillmasters…grocery runners…tee time planners…bonfire game leaders…and more. No function is more important than another, we give freely of ourselves and we help each other have a great time. It’s the perfect model for any life group or business team. Find the role that suits you, commit to it and do it well – and everything seems to turn out better.
Make new memories – don’t just reminisce about old ones. I love that every GWOS produces new moments that we continue to remember and talk about years later. But I also love that we stay in the present and not spend too much time on what happened in the past. Looking back has its time and place too – don’t get me wrong. I just don’t want to do it all the time. Looking forward to exciting things in the present and future is an optimistic and hopeful way to be.
Thankfully for me, the countdown to the 2025 event has begun. Can’t wait.
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