Hope + 5 Elements of Success + Consistency = Dream
What is the first thing you think about when imagining climbing Mount Everest? I know what I just thought about, TRAINING! Can you imagine climbing or thinking about climbing Mount Everest without training? Where do you begin? It sounds so impossible from where you may sit today. However, if I asked you to climb a mountain in Carmel, NY that is roughly 1,800 ft you wouldn’t give it much thought or think about training. Easy, you might say, like taking a small trail hike or a stroll in the park. Now, if you did that every day, in the most challenging conditions, you would be training. As the Carmel Mountain got easier, you would likely want an increase in the challenge until you felt ready to give Everest a try! What does this have to do with golf? Keep reading!
For you golfers hoping to win a club championship, play collegiate golf, or being on the PGA/LPGA Tour and #1 player in the world, this is your Mount Everest. To think that you can achieve this dream without proper planning, training, or coaching sounds improbable. I understand golf looks easy, players on tour make it seem that way. However, none of the players get there from couch surfing or playing video games hours every day. It takes a lot of hard work on the right things, sacrificing comfort, willingness to do what it takes to improve daily, the ability to set small goals, like completing a weekly practice plan set by you and your coach, and doing this every week, month and year. By achieving the “small” goals you put yourself in a position to achieve the biggest goals. It takes lots of failure to see the smallest amounts of improvement at times. For golfers, this is playing golf, trying different shots, figuring out what may work or not. When your dream is as big as playing on the PGA/LPGA Tour it is worth taking the time to figure out a plan. Assess your skills today. Index where you are so that you can build a plan to help you get to where you want to be. Without a good plan and achievable goals, the struggles that come along with such a BIG dream turns into frustration and disappointment and with too much disappointment over time, this dream turns to hopelessness and POOF, dream gone!
Achieving an audacious goal can be frustrating. However, it can be a good sign that a player is making progress but, without a clear understanding of how your dream becomes reality, frustration of failure can quickly turn into self- doubt and negative self-talk.
If you are trying to climb Mt. Everest or realize your dream of winning, collegiate golf or being on Tour, here is the secret sauce:
#1 Have Hope
#2 Utilize the 5 Elements of Success principles (Desire to improve, quality coaching, be physically able, function dictates form, mental growth mindset, have right equipment)
#3 Be consistent
#4 Have Gratitude
#5 Have Acceptance.
When you find yourself feeling like your goals are not within reach, re-assess your skills with Player Development Assessment, reset your timeline if needed and make it manageable but, don’t leave out the challenge, you will need this for continued improvement. Go for it, climb baby climb!!
Enjoy Your Journey!
