Developing one’s skill, technique, and expertise in their golf game is essentially asking for struggle.
Then why do so many golfers get thrown off their game and let challenges stress them out?
Science says that every perception has a chemistry to it, which means that what we think impacts how we feel. If as a golfer, I begin to struggle in my practice, and I look at that as a bad thing…because I ‘should’ be so much further by now or I ‘should’ no longer have a problem with this skill, I am in effect, fighting my own struggle. Struggling with the struggle only creates more struggle. We all know that’s a sure way to keep out of a flow state and not have access to optimal performance.
What if I chose to think about struggles as something that is necessary? What if I chose to trust challenges, trust mistakes, and trust struggle, because these are the very things that refine me? Knowing that facing these states refines me, means that I understand they are necessary for my growth and will be the very thing that gets me from where I am to where I want to be. If I chose to think about struggle in this way, I’d be able to embrace struggle when it comes and likely save myself a lot of stress.
Trusting the struggle supports us in enjoying the journey and helps us maintain an open mind that’s ready to learn, grow, and adapt. Trusting the struggle keeps us in a mental and emotional state that’s optimal for peak performance and tapping into a state of flow. It’s a simple shift in perception and trusting the struggle can make all the difference.
