We have all experienced this while driving: on a beautiful, sun-lit day, we are cruising down the road towards the golf course. Not a care in the world..enjoying the ride…listening to our favorite tunes...completely relaxed…fantasizing about our upcoming round of golf....and the success we plan on experiencing!
As we get closer to the course…we come upon some road construction: the road narrows…lanes are joined…construction barriers are on both sides. We immediately react by becoming a white-knuckle driver…tension builds…holding on to the steering wheel for dear life…slowing down…and becoming petrified that we might crash into the barriers.
Once we get through the construction…everything returns to normal: tension eases…calm sets in…we start enjoying the music once again...you focus again on the beautiful day ahead and the golf course consumes your thoughts!
What just happened? When the conditions were “normal”, your mind was at ease and driving the car was instinctive and automatic. You don't even think about keeping your car inside the lane...it's instinctive and automatic!
When you came upon the construction site…your mind got overtaken by the consequences of the possibility of getting into an accident. Thus, the tension tension..the fear..the slowing down…the anxiety set in!
Same thing happens while playing golf: when your focus is simply to select a club, pick out a target, and swing that club, the results, more often than not, are quite pleasing.
If we allow our mind and eyes to “see” the hazards in front of us: bunkers, water, out of bounds…we tend to freeze up and focus on not “messing up”! More often than not…we do, indeed, “mess up”!
So, next time you play…focus on what you are trying to do: allow your eyes, mind, and body and all your senses to experience a positive outcome, rather than grinding on avoiding disaster.
No matter the skill level, we all have the ability to control the mindset for each outcome.
Promise…the first option is way better, and a lot more fun, than the second one!
Here’s to good driving..on and off the course…in 2024!
-skip