You gotta work at it.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a very competitive person. I have always needed something in my life to balance with work and family. Age and years of competitive softball, taekwon do, racquetball have caught up to me and after surgery to fuse my spine three years ago, I had to give those things up. In the Spring of 2007, I decided that I would try to play golf as my main recreational activity. How hard could that be?
After playing more than I ever had, I got a little better. I was playing well enough that I thought that I could compete in the City championship in the “C Flight” (Golf puts players in different categories based on their average score to give everyone a chance to compete). On the par 71 course, I shot a 126. (That’s 55 shots OVER par in one round of golf). I finished the tournament second to last and just to add insult to injury, they published the complete results in the local newspaper for all of my friends, family and clients to read. Luckily, newspaper circulation and readership is down.
I was devastated. I had not so completely failed in my entire life. I have been successful at virtually everything that I had attempted my entire life. How could this happen? I know, you are thinking that it is a golf tournament, get over it. I’m not wired that way, sorry. After wallowing in self pity for a few days, I realized that I had not applied to golf the steps that had always made me successful. So, while taking off from golf from September through March to rehab another back problem, I put my plan together. Following are the steps that I am using. Apply these in your life and I am sure they will help you as well.
SET A CLEAR GOAL “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” From Alice in Wonderland. If you do not have a specific goal to always refer back to, you cannot be sure if you are making progress. Everything that you do has to ultimately stand up to the question, IS THIS GETTING ME CLOSER TO MY GOAL? My goal for golf is to finish in the top 3 of the same tournament that I finished second to last in July of last year. (I didn’t set my goal for first place because I can’t control what golfers sign up for flights below their ability just so they can win)
GATHER KNOWLEDGE & GET TRAINING – Seek out successful people that can help you get better. Don’t wait for someone to come to you and offer. It usually doesn’t happen. Throughout my career, I have always tried to get knowledge from other successful people. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. As a matter of fact, some say it is the ultimate sign of strength. For my golf game, I read several books that were recommended and took lessons for the first time in my life. I had played golf off and on for 20 years and never had a lesson. I highly suggest it. Within 15 minutes, I had the first things that I needed to work on and sound fundamentals on a golf swing that would be best suited for me.
MENTAL PREPARATION – Visualize what success looks like for you. See yourself in that success. I will close my eyes in bed and picture each hole that I play and how I could play it better and then see myself doing it. I picture myself playing the rounds of the city tournament and writing down my winning scores. You must first see it in your mind before it is possible to accomplish it.
PHYSICAL PREPARATION – Is there anything physically that is holding you back from your goal? If you do not feel your best, your goal will be much more difficult. I decided that I was to heavy and my endurance was not good enough to be at my peak for an entire round of competitive golf. I immediately began more exercise and a sensible eating plan. At the time of this writing, I have lost 23 pounds and feel much better. Even if your goal is not a physical one, feeling good is imperative. How can you improve your physical self?
PRACTICE – Jack Nicklaus is widely considered the best golfer in history (prior to Tiger Woods). In the foreword to Jack’s instructional book, “Golf My Way”, Jack’s golf coach, Jack Grout writes:
Today Jack plays such sensational golf with such apparent ease that many people who watch him probably gain the impression that his skills are heaven sent rather than self developed. That isn’t true. No one ever worked harder at golf than Jack Nicklaus during his teens and early twenties. At the age of ten, in his first year of golf, Jack must have averaged three hundred practice shots and eighteen holes of play daily. In later years, he would often hit double the number of practice shots and play thirty-six------even fifty-four-----holes of golf a day during the summer. I have seen him practice for hours in rain, violent winds, snow, intense heat---nothing would keep him away from golf. Even a slight case o polio failed to prevent him from showing up at Scioto for a golf match. With this kind of dedication, and all his other assets, it would have been surprising if he had NOT become a great player.
I set my practice routine to go to the range every day that I am in town and don’t have an appointment during lunch. I hit at least two buckets of balls, chip a bucket and putt for 15 minutes. I practice in the cold, wind, light rain or whatever. I play after work once a week and early mornings on the weekend before the family wakes up so that I still have my family time.
PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED – If you make all of the preparations, but never put it into action, you can never get there. It might sound silly, but fear of failure or rejection holds too many people back. Did you make that next sales call, that follow up phone call? I entered our country club member guest tournament yesterday with a client. Seventeen teams of pretty hard core golfers. Long story short, we won the tournament by three strokes. As a two man team, we shot a 60 after our handicap was applied. (Remember that 126 from last year) We didn’t even play that well, but after a few bad holes, we were able to re-group and play well enough to win. Some might call your success lucky. There is no such thing as luck. Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness. Lessons are there for everyone. The driving range is always open. Take lottery tickets for example. The winning ticket is there for anyone to buy, but only the person that took the time to buy it can ever get the winning ticket. That person was prepared to win the lottery.
My journey has just begun since I have a tournament in July to place in. Progress is now measurable. What goal would you like to attain? What are you prepared to do to get there? Without a plan, a goal is no more than a dream.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a very competitive person. I have always needed something in my life to balance with work and family. Age and years of competitive softball, taekwon do, racquetball have caught up to me and after surgery to fuse my spine three years ago, I had to give those things up. In the Spring of 2007, I decided that I would try to play golf as my main recreational activity. How hard could that be?
After playing more than I ever had, I got a little better. I was playing well enough that I thought that I could compete in the City championship in the “C Flight” (Golf puts players in different categories based on their average score to give everyone a chance to compete). On the par 71 course, I shot a 126. (That’s 55 shots OVER par in one round of golf). I finished the tournament second to last and just to add insult to injury, they published the complete results in the local newspaper for all of my friends, family and clients to read. Luckily, newspaper circulation and readership is down.
I was devastated. I had not so completely failed in my entire life. I have been successful at virtually everything that I had attempted my entire life. How could this happen? I know, you are thinking that it is a golf tournament, get over it. I’m not wired that way, sorry. After wallowing in self pity for a few days, I realized that I had not applied to golf the steps that had always made me successful. So, while taking off from golf from September through March to rehab another back problem, I put my plan together. Following are the steps that I am using. Apply these in your life and I am sure they will help you as well.
SET A CLEAR GOAL “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” From Alice in Wonderland. If you do not have a specific goal to always refer back to, you cannot be sure if you are making progress. Everything that you do has to ultimately stand up to the question, IS THIS GETTING ME CLOSER TO MY GOAL? My goal for golf is to finish in the top 3 of the same tournament that I finished second to last in July of last year. (I didn’t set my goal for first place because I can’t control what golfers sign up for flights below their ability just so they can win)
GATHER KNOWLEDGE & GET TRAINING – Seek out successful people that can help you get better. Don’t wait for someone to come to you and offer. It usually doesn’t happen. Throughout my career, I have always tried to get knowledge from other successful people. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. As a matter of fact, some say it is the ultimate sign of strength. For my golf game, I read several books that were recommended and took lessons for the first time in my life. I had played golf off and on for 20 years and never had a lesson. I highly suggest it. Within 15 minutes, I had the first things that I needed to work on and sound fundamentals on a golf swing that would be best suited for me.
MENTAL PREPARATION – Visualize what success looks like for you. See yourself in that success. I will close my eyes in bed and picture each hole that I play and how I could play it better and then see myself doing it. I picture myself playing the rounds of the city tournament and writing down my winning scores. You must first see it in your mind before it is possible to accomplish it.
PHYSICAL PREPARATION – Is there anything physically that is holding you back from your goal? If you do not feel your best, your goal will be much more difficult. I decided that I was to heavy and my endurance was not good enough to be at my peak for an entire round of competitive golf. I immediately began more exercise and a sensible eating plan. At the time of this writing, I have lost 23 pounds and feel much better. Even if your goal is not a physical one, feeling good is imperative. How can you improve your physical self?
PRACTICE – Jack Nicklaus is widely considered the best golfer in history (prior to Tiger Woods). In the foreword to Jack’s instructional book, “Golf My Way”, Jack’s golf coach, Jack Grout writes:
Today Jack plays such sensational golf with such apparent ease that many people who watch him probably gain the impression that his skills are heaven sent rather than self developed. That isn’t true. No one ever worked harder at golf than Jack Nicklaus during his teens and early twenties. At the age of ten, in his first year of golf, Jack must have averaged three hundred practice shots and eighteen holes of play daily. In later years, he would often hit double the number of practice shots and play thirty-six------even fifty-four-----holes of golf a day during the summer. I have seen him practice for hours in rain, violent winds, snow, intense heat---nothing would keep him away from golf. Even a slight case o polio failed to prevent him from showing up at Scioto for a golf match. With this kind of dedication, and all his other assets, it would have been surprising if he had NOT become a great player.
I set my practice routine to go to the range every day that I am in town and don’t have an appointment during lunch. I hit at least two buckets of balls, chip a bucket and putt for 15 minutes. I practice in the cold, wind, light rain or whatever. I play after work once a week and early mornings on the weekend before the family wakes up so that I still have my family time.
PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED – If you make all of the preparations, but never put it into action, you can never get there. It might sound silly, but fear of failure or rejection holds too many people back. Did you make that next sales call, that follow up phone call? I entered our country club member guest tournament yesterday with a client. Seventeen teams of pretty hard core golfers. Long story short, we won the tournament by three strokes. As a two man team, we shot a 60 after our handicap was applied. (Remember that 126 from last year) We didn’t even play that well, but after a few bad holes, we were able to re-group and play well enough to win. Some might call your success lucky. There is no such thing as luck. Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness. Lessons are there for everyone. The driving range is always open. Take lottery tickets for example. The winning ticket is there for anyone to buy, but only the person that took the time to buy it can ever get the winning ticket. That person was prepared to win the lottery.
My journey has just begun since I have a tournament in July to place in. Progress is now measurable. What goal would you like to attain? What are you prepared to do to get there? Without a plan, a goal is no more than a dream.
No comments:
Post a Comment