Keep Chopping Wood. Thursday, June 22

Thursday, June 22

What do you go to when you need something to go to?

It was fun to watch Wyndham Clark battle to win the US Open in golf this past weekend. Clark is a talented golfer but had struggled to put it together for 4 rounds and get a win. All that changed when he started to focus on his mindset. Within six months of prioritizing his mindset, he now has two tour wins, including a major.

His mental performance coach told him to simplify the game, so have three goals going into a round and don’t make any of them about golf. There’s so much going on, especially at a major, and the chaos and pressure of it can be overwhelming. One of his goals was to enjoy himself at a beautiful golf course. When he hit a bad shot or saw the leaderboard change because a competitor was getting closer, he would look around and remember that he was playing golf at a beautiful golf course.

The tendency is to let the fear take over. To allow the doubt to sink in. To let the pressure of the moment win. And when that happens, Clark does not play his best. But when he can take a breath and mentally reset, he gives himself a better chance to hit the next shot well. And as the pressure mounted down the stretch, with some of the best golfers in the world closing in, he stayed calm and composed and came out on top. It was a moment he’d never been in, but he played

It’s a practice that matters not just for golfers but for us. What do you do when the pressure rises? What do you do when the stress gets to you? What do you do when you make a mistake?

Do you let your emotions and feelings take over? Do you let the pressure and your circumstances dictate your actions? Or do you have something you go to that allows you to take a breath, reset and re-engage to give yourself the best chance at success?

Being mentally resilient doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s not just for athletes. If you want to win in life, start with your mindset.
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Keep chopping wood. 🪵🪓

-Kevin