Gut is a powerful tool if utilized properly, especially in the business world. Typically, the first instinct is the right one to go with in any type of situation. Like second nature, it feels right and prohibitive of poor decision making. When making business decisions, it can be difficult at times to arrive at one that feels right. Particularly in the digital media world, the first instinct may impact the outcome of a certain area within your business.

About a week ago, my wife and I were visiting family in Decatur, IL. For those Chicago Bears fans, the town may ring a bell if otherwise seems absolutely incoherent. Not that I’m a huge NFL fan by any means but in case you are, that would be the only way you’d comprehend the geographical positioning of the city. Besides being the former home of the Chicago Bears, it’s also known for its ADM headquarters. In case ADM doesn’t ring a bell to you as well, check out the movie “The Informant” with Matt Damon for some perspective. Aside from being the former home of the Chicago Bears and current headquarters of ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), there really isn’t much else happening (unfortunately).

Naturally, when we head out to Decatur, IL for a weekend, my wife attends to her hair appointment while I play golf with her grandfather. In reality, it works out quite great when the weather cooperates. As we step closer into the cold season though, there’s not many warm days to enjoy a fun game of golf. This past week when we visited, the weather was kind enough to us and allowed us to squeeze in a full 18-hole stretch. Golf never really was my forte until about a couple of months ago. Quite hard to believe that I’ve been playing for less than six months and absolutely loving it. Thus far, I’ve made plenty of trips to the driving range and last week technically marked my seventh official outing.

Consider Viable Strategies

Admittedly, the driver club seems to be my most favorite one thus far. I’m becoming quite versed in driving and acclimating to the driver. A 5-iron and a 7-iron are becoming favorites as well however still struggling with the chips. As a beginner to the game, I’ve quickly learned from my wife’s grandfather that the secret to scoring is chipping and putting, not as much driving. Fortunately for me I dominate in miniature golf so I have the putting part down fairly well. The chipping on the other hand, well that’s going to take some practicing. And indeed, during my last outing I strived hard in focusing on those chips with intent of advancing my game and scoring.

Go with First Instinct

Another secret I quickly became immune to is the fact that first instinct is typically the right one. Overanalyzing a swing simply creates doubt in one’s mind and so it did for me. However, when focusing and running with the first instinct, it seems that my drives, chips, and putts were the most coordinated. Not only did I feel better about the overall approach but quite frequently I’d get much closer to the hole or even scoring in certain instances.

When it comes to making choices in digital marketing endeavors, always run with intuition as a guide. If picking the right instinct shows clear signs of doubt, consider alternative options. If you’re setting yourself up for failure intentionally, than chances are you’ll most likely fail.