Be kind

Tuesday, July 7

We recently added another pro golfer to our roster of athletes we are working with on the mental side of performance. He had been struggling this year and reached out for some help.

One of his issues was how he spoke to himself after a poor shot or performance. He realized that he wasn’t kind to himself. And that response resulted in more poor performance.

He knew that failure was a part of golf (as it is with any pursuit). But somewhere along the way, fear decided that failure wasn’t okay. Fear makes us think, “If I mess this up, I’m done. This is my only chance.” Which is a lie, of course, but it feels real in the moment.

So we worked on some things to help him lead himself better after poor shots. This weekend he had his best finish in 3 years. His potential didn’t change. His ability to play golf well didn’t change. His thinking and his self-leadership changed.

You will fail on this journey of growth. You will fail often. Be honest with yourself, but be kind to yourself. Hold yourself accountable but don’t judge or shame yourself. Give yourself a chance to grow.
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Keep chopping wood. 🪵🪓

-Kevin