A lesson in self-inflicted wounds

My friend is going through a rough period with his golf game. He is a low handicapper with a great short game. For the last five months, he has lost all confidence off the tee. He is a spirited fellow (he has been known to throw a club) that likes to play competitively.

He has a few issues other than his tee shot, and they all relate to the business of golf.

For one, he will not take the time to stop and get a lesson. He says he doesn’t have the time nor does he have the patience to practice and implement the changes that could follow a lesson. But, he has time to play competitive tennis and ride his mountain bike.

He has time to play golf at least once or twice a week. That’s 4 hours per round and at least an hour getting to the course warming up, getting set, playing then settling up $$ with our group. Let’s see, by my calculations that is around 150-200 hours being miserable with his golf game. UGH!! That’s like listening to Johnny Miller say, “that’s a chunk and run, folks” over and over and over. We get it, Miller, you named a lousy shot.

Many times we witness clients caught up this same pattern of self-torture.

Here are a few:

Trying to tackle too many objectives (hobbies) at the same time.
After Steve Jobs got control of apple back, the first thing he did was simplify the offering. The previous leadership wanted something for everybody.

Afraid of missing out on (an activity) an opportunity.
When I was younger, I would never turn down new business, EVER. Now, finally, I see the wisdom in matching your expertise, experience and taste level to likeminded individuals. It is a much more profitable and stress-free endeavor.

Don’t have time to stop the bus and fix it.
Not taking the time is a self-inflicted wound. Take a step each day to fix the on-going problem, even if it’s just a few minutes. Those that do this find it adds up in their favor.

Too many masters to serve.
Too many unfounded fears.

No “self-awareness” of a fixable pattern.
No ability to run multiple tracks.

If my buddy were a manufacturer seeking to refine a product and bring it to market, have it perform to its highest level in a time effective manner he would have been unsuccessful.

Check out this math:
175 hours (so far) playing with a swing issue
$125 hourly rate (example)
$21,875 invested being pissed off

$25 – $150 PGA teaching pro lesson.

My buddy? He still thinks his swing will magically fix itself. In the meantime, I am on the lookout for flying clubs.

Tell me about your experiences getting stuck in a bad pattern.

Photo Credit: ©2018 Crobar | Creative Leverage • Location: Dataw Island, South Carolina • Purpose: Product shoot for a golf car manufacturer