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One of my hobbies in the summer time is playing golf.  Even though I am a very average golfer I really enjoy the competitive nature of the game and I also enjoy having a good time with my friends on the golf course.  I often find myself after my round thinking about what I could have done differently to shoot a better score.  (If I wouldn’t have hit that ball in the lake I would have shot a 79 instead of an 82)  It seems that every time I’m around a golfer and ask them what they shot they tell you their score and then have a story about what they could have shot if they had done something differently.  I have recently come to the conclusion that the only thing that matters is the score I have when I finish the last hole.  If  I continue to shoot an 82 the excuses I make for my self don’t really matter.  As the old saying goes “The numbers never lie”. 

I think this same thought process can very easily be applied to business.  In all aspects of our company we judge how well we are doing by numbers on weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.  As we have mentioned on the blog before, we are members of a consulting group in our Buy Here Pay Here business.  As a part of this consulting group we turn in numbers each month and get a report sent back to us that compares our numbers to our previous months and to the other 20 businesses in our consulting group.  I always anxiously anticipate getting the report in the mail to see how the previous month shaped up against other businesses.  No matter how I try to justify or make excuses for certain numbers in my head the fact of the matter is we are what our numbers say we are.  Fortunately for us we have outstanding employees and our numbers are consistently above average, but thankfully the numbers always point out areas that we can work towards improving.  

As we go about our work let’s always make sure we are judging ourselves by numbers and facts and work toward improving in the areas that the numbers show need improvement…….With this attitude one day I might even get to where I shoot a 79 on a consistent basis. 

The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has.

Will Rogers

Have a good day!

Louis