Base hits win games. I’m not much of a baseball fan, but I know that getting on base is a solid strategy for putting up runs and scoring more than the other team. If everyone keeps getting on base, you don’t need home runs.

Overnight success happens over a lot of nights. People you’ve just heard of have likely been slugging away at their business, craft, or ministry for years or decades or their entire life. No one is an overnight expert. Perhaps an overnight celebrity thanks to YouTube videos with catchy auto tune action, but surely not a success. These people aren’t hitting home runs, they’ve been faithfully and consistently building their skill over time.

In fact, overnight success isn’t ideal. Here are a few problems with attempting home runs every at bat.

The problem with swinging for the fences

When you swing for a home run every time, you’re going to strikeout often.

That comes with the territory. If you’re swinging hard and fast, you’re going to whiff pretty regularly. Your timing is going to be a bit off when the pitches aren’t coming as you intended.

You’re going to get frustrated quickly.

If your goal is a home run, a base hit won’t satisfy you. If you’re just trying to get on base, day in and day out, when the homer comes, you’re going to be ecstatic. And trust me, it will come. Continue reading →