The cricket season is upon us, and for those who enjoy test cricket, it’ll mean following closely the ebbs and flows of the game as it slowly unfolds.

I feel sorry for people that don’t enjoy cricket. They don’t know what they’re missing.

In my view there are similarities between test cricket and running a farming business.

The obvious one being that the outcome isn’t always clear until you get some way through the game.

A very good mate of mine runs his highly successful farming business using similar principles to when he captained cricket teams in the past.

The ultimate goal is envisaged before the game starts, and this includes a lot of research, preparation, and strategy. That’s fine in theory, but like a long-form cricket game, farming doesn’t progress in a linear fashion.

There are always twists and turns along the way.

The ability to adapt to the circumstance you’re presented with throughout the journey sorts out the high performers from the average ones. Being adaptable is an incredibly good character trait in any circumstance.

In farming, as in cricket, you may be presented with situations that require immediate action to be taken and a deviation from the game plan. In farming, weather events fit firmly into this category. This year’s frosts are an example of altering course mid-season.

Not being rattled by changing conditions is another characteristic of the professional agri business owner and cricket captain. Remaining calm during a perceived crisis will allow for better decision making to take place.

Another similarity is the ability to consult others for advice. No one person is the font of all knowledge, and being willing to ask for other opinions is a strength, not a weakness. The key to this is getting advice from the right places.

The cricket captain will have certain people to consult, while the farmer will most likely have a series of advisors to call upon. These may include agronomists, consultants, specialist productions advisors etc. The key to this is not to have too many people that offer opinions, as this may lead to paralysis by analysis.

The person in charge ultimately must make a call.

Keeping the end goal in mind will allow decisions to be made along the way that deviate from the initial plan but will normally see the farming business meet its objectives in the long term.

Along with having the end in mind, it’s also important to have milestones along the way to measure progress. These will be signposts that headway is being made, that will keep momentum moving, even when unexpected obstacles arise.

People don’t get to lead a farming business or a cricket team by chance, in most instances they are the best person for the job and are also able to inspire others to come on the journey with them.

Whether your thing is cricket – or some other pastime – or farming, having fun along the way will be a sure sign you’re doing something right.