A year or so ago, a networking friend – a local surveyor – told me a story I’ve never forgotten. He said there was something called the Shortcut Method. Years ago, some surveyors realized they could shave a little time off their work by cutting corners. The measurements looked close enough, the maps appeared accurate, and they could move on to the next job a little faster.
The problem was, those little shortcuts didn’t stay buried.
The mistakes showed up years later when someone else had to rely on the work they left behind.
I’ve thought about that story a lot since he told it, especially how it relates not only to everyday life, but also to everything I’ve learned through sports.
Now, I have a confession to make. I’ve never really been much of a shortcut person. Stubborn? Absolutely. But never really interested in taking the easier path. Because, well…I like to win. And it seemed to me that shortcutting the process wouldn’t get me to that end goal.
If Coach told us to shoot 100 free throws, I probably shot 105 just to make sure nobody could accuse me of stopping early. If there was one more sprint to run, I ran it (probably begrudgingly, but I ran it). If there was one more line drill, I might have shortened a step or two because my legs were burning, but I was still going to touch every line.
Looking back, I’m not even sure I was trying to impress Coach. I think I was trying to prove something to myself. But I’ve watched plenty of people look for shortcuts.
And if I’m honest, I’ve certainly been tempted to cut a corner here and there. Because that’s usually how shortcuts begin. Not with some grand plan to cheat. Just one little decision.
One missed workout.
One skipped practice.
One assignment you promise yourself you’ll finish tomorrow.
One free throw you decide probably doesn’t matter.
Coach tells you to shoot one hundred free throws. Ninety-nine is probably enough. Nobody’s counting.
Except you.
Then six months later, the regional championship is tied, there’s one second left on the clock, and you’re standing alone at the free-throw line.
Suddenly…that hundredth free throw doesn’t seem so insignificant anymore.
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The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized life works the same way. The shortcut at work eventually shows up when you’re asked to lead the project. The shortcut in school shows up on the exam. The shortcut in a relationship shows up when trust is tested. The shortcut in parenting shows up years later in the character of your children. Life has a remarkable way of collecting on the work we chose not to do…usually when it matters most.
That’s what that surveyors story was really teaching me. Shortcuts don’t erase the work. They just postpone the consequences.
The things worth having almost always ask something from us first.
Preparation before opportunity.
Discipline before success.
Character before recognition.
Nobody remembers whether you shot all one hundred free throws. Nobody remembers if you ran every sprint all the way through the line. Most of the work that shapes us happens when nobody is watching.
But somehow… That’s the work that matters most.
Maybe that’s why they called it the Shortcut Method.
It was certainly shorter.
It just wasn’t better.
Because the things that matter most in life…
…have never really had shortcuts.
And that’s how the ball really bounces.
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.
