“Eighteen holes of match or medal play will teach you more about your foe than will eighteen years of dealing with them across a desk…”

It’s always said that you can learn a lot about someone and their psychology of life by their handshake. If you speak to a golf professional, they’ll add to that by saying that you can also learn a lot about someone by the way they play golf.

Golf coach Tim Sanders says, “The way a player approaches the game of golf is usually a good indication of the way they approach life. It’s good golf etiquette to shake hands with a player you haven’t met before, before playing a round of golf but that handshake can tell you a lot about the type of opponent they’ll be. A strong handshake is usually given by a strong character but there are some characters who always want to be on top, so much so that they’ll actually turn your hand as they shake it just to get their own hand on the top. People can come to the game with that kind of attitude but the game of golf has a way of levelling the playing field for everyone.”

“…Golf gives you an insight into human nature, your own as well as your opponent’s”

- Grantland Rice, sports writer and commentator

Patience is a virtue

Another popular saying is ‘practice makes perfect’ and it holds true in all areas of life. “If I see a new player pick up a club and start swinging fast, I can be fairly sure that they live a fast-paced life,” says Tim, “but swinging a club fast doesn’t help you to learn the game of golf any faster! If a player wants to master the game of golf, they have to be prepared to practice and putting in practice requires patience.” 

 Whether your goal in life is to master a sports skill or a business skill, there are no shortcuts. Some people are going to get to the top before others but nobody gets to the top without working their way up the necessary steps of the ladder. “The first step in golf is to learn how to hold the club,” says Tim, “but newcomers to the game are often too impatient and they just want to hit the ball. What they must understand is that being able to hit the ball, no matter how hard, is not actually going to progress them very far in their game because without a correct grip, they’ll have no control over where the ball goes.”  

 One step at a time

If you’re one of life’s ‘hard hitters,’ are you sure your actions are keeping you on target to achieving the success you want? In the game of golf, your ultimate goal is to play all eighteen holes successfully so each hole you play is effectively taking you another step closer and every shot you take counts.

 Coaches Corner:

 What’s your ultimate goal in life ?

 What represents reaching the eighteenth green in the game of life?

 Make sure every shot you play in life counts and that each one takes you one step closer to success. What can you do today that will take you closer to your goal ?

 “Life is just like a game of golf, but played on a bigger course”

- Tim Sanders, golf pro

If you enjoyed  this blog be sure to sign up for your FREE report “The Winning Edge “ 7  keys to playing the game of your life click here to sign up

 So what are the benefits of being able to think quickly? Well, if you’re a Formula One driver, the main benefit is staying alive! However, for the rest of us, the main benefit of learning how to think quickly is really learning how to think clearly when the pressure is on. In sport, clear thinking is focused thinking. Learning how to focus is essentially  learning how to concentrate but crucially, focus equates to learning how to concentrate only on what matters.

 Action v Distraction

Only a few years ago, reigning world champion Jenson Button was as famous for his playboy lifestyle as he was for his Formula One success. Things have now changed. In a recent interview he said, “I thought that driving skill would be enough in Formula One, but it wasn’t…I realised that skill was not enough because everyone in Formula One is skilled – that’s why they’re here…I realised that everything else had to be on hold for as long as I was in F1.” Jenson Button has learned that physical skill alone is not enough. Staying at the top of your game takes mental skill. It takes focus: and Button’s focus is now only on winning, although he admits to not being a “saint.”

 “Your mind management has to be spot on and you must always have maximum concentration to maintain complete consistency” - Chris Buncombe

 When Lewis Hamilton was only nine-years old, he boldly introduced himself to Ron Dennis, McLaren team boss at the time, by saying, “Hi, I’m Lewis Hamilton. I won the British Championships and one day I want to be racing your cars.” The rest, as they say, is history! Unlike Button, Hamilton has not come to “realise” that success in motor racing requires focus, his focus has always been on Formula One success.

“Lewis is exceptional. He has the mind for it, the attitude, the God-given skill, but he is already recognising that he needs something else. And he is doing it with humility and style” – Jackie Stewart

Clear the Clutter

Racing drivers have only nano seconds in which to make decisions. They are under extreme physical and mental pressure when racing and the difference between a podium finish and an ‘also ran’ finish is often only the tiniest fraction of a second. There is absolutely no downtime in the cockpit of a racing car, total concentration is needed at all times. With focus and with clear thinking, decisions can be made at lightening speed. Doubts or negative thoughts of any kind are clutter, and clutter can’t be allowed to enter a racing driver’s mind. Hamilton is described as having, “an acute tactical mind, strong race-craft, and brilliant opportunism.” Button, on the other hand, is described as, “laidback but seriously competitive.” Both drivers have mental skill. Both have the ability to “see” what they have to do, and both know that their focus must always remain on what can be achieved and what can be controlled or influenced by their thoughts and actions at any given moment of time. They have no room in their mind for negative thoughts.

 Sir Stirling Moss once said of Lewis Hamilton, “It isn’t just that he is a driver, he obviously can drive – he is a racer, he can see a gap and he’s in it.” That’s NLP mental skill; that’s real quick thinking in high-speed action. Jenson Button has also demonstrated his ability to remain focused only on the elements of the race within his control by saying of less than favourable weather conditions before a race, “It’s disappointing, but we can’t stop it raining here.” So, next time you feel under pressure to make a “quick” decision, clear your mind of unnecessary clutter, learn to focus only on what matters, think like a racing driver.

If you enjoyed  this blog be sure to sign up for your FREE report “The Winning Edge “ 7  keys to playing the game of your life click here to sign up

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” – Marianne Williamson

Self-Confidence! It’s one of those things that even the best of us struggle with at times. We can often get down on ourselves and literally tear strips off ourselves.
But that’s never the way to go!
During times like this, we often feel as we did back when we were growing up. As teenagers in particular, we were more concerned about fitting in with the crowd, rather than going out and really doing what we want.
But now that we’re mature adults…(well sometimes )
…it’s time to have  confidence to do what we want in life!
Now whether you’re sixteen or sixty, this can be hard. We often fall into two traps:
1. That of not believing in ourselves; and
2. That of worrying about what other people think.
So! How do you get around these two traps and avoid getting stuck altogether?
Easy! We need to tackle each one and look each of those two traps fair and square in the eye.
You ARE brilliant!

Each human being has their own brilliance – the ability to go and create the life they want. The ability to CREATE all of those really great things they want out of life.
Life is favourable to us and ready to help us once we decide what we want, focus on the outcome as though it has already happened – and go for it!
We are brilliant because we have the ability to create our own reality and our outcomes.
Remember the quote I shared the other day with you by W. Clement Stone: “Whatever the mind…can conceive it can achieve.”
So replace those words of, “I can’t do it! It’s too hard!” to, “I can do this, I will get there”
And as for what other people think of you…
…WHO CARES! All that matters is what YOU think of YOU!
It’s YOUR thinking – YOUR thoughts – that create your reality. What other people think about you has no power whatsoever.
So do not feel limited by what other people say and think.
Remember that you are BRILLIANT – and believe it at all times!
Just recently I read a superb quote by Dr. Daniel Amen, as published in Jack Canfield’s book, “The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.”
The quote is actually called the 18/40/60 Rule and it goes like this:
“When you’re 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you’re 40, you don’t give a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you’re 60, you realize nobody’s been thinking about you at all.”
So there you go!
One of life’s greatest mysteries unraveled right before your eyes, right here!
Your thoughts and your thoughts alone are the ONLY ones that have power of you. So remember your brilliance. Believe it at all times…and go for whatever you want in life with REAL confidence!

Action Project:

1. Remind yourself of at least 3 times you allowed yourself to shine and write these times down
2. From how you feel when you “shine” write down 3 goals, dreams or projects you would love to achieve
3. Choose to start and make one inspired action today to start your journey

Further Reading:

• “Instant Confidence”  Paul McKenna
• “You Can Have What You Want” Michael Neill

‘Somebody should tell us …right at the start of our lives…that we are dying.Then we might live to the limit,every minute of every day.Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows” Michael Landon

Be fearless …What will you do today ?

Sometimes modern life with its pace, demands and the expectations we place on ourselves can lead you to seek in the future something that is available in the present. And I dont know which “state” you would like more of now, love, happiness, freedom but what I do know is that they are all there within you as you read this blog.

Coaching question: What do I love to do that brings me alive ?

Further Reading: “Suffering is Optional” Cheri Huber

Every human being who has walked the earth and will ever walk the earth has the infinite ability within them to create the life they want.
And success really is the achievement of that. It’s the reality of living your ideal life and being happy.
When we are happy, we are healthy and rich. So we were made to be happy – to be successful ! This is our default position which we sometime forget .
So when you do something – with the full intention of achieving the happiness you aspire to – believe that you CAN achieve it!
Know that you CAN do it!
And when that voice of negativity comes into your mind, you can tell it to “Take a hike! “Or just notice it for what it is..” a passing thought” and let it go…
You can respond to the negativity with a positive affirmation of “I CAN” and “I WILL” or a “I WANT TO”. And feel the feelings of being able to do just that.
When you affirm that you can and you will, you are actually giving yourself strength both mentally and physically.
And that puts you in a really good position to go out there and grab success with both hands or let success be a natural outcome of your happiness.
Try it today, remember you have a choice!

Start believing that you are made for success and claim it today for yourself!
A little self-confidence really does go a long, long way – as you will see when you start implementing this valuable lesson in your own life.

Re-create the life you really want!

Let’s face it! There aren’t too many people out there that don’t want to achieve success in their lives. Whether that’s success in personal areas such as relationships or success in professional areas involving career and promotion, we all want our piece of it!
One thing though that holds so many people back is that negative voice inside our head that critiques us on absolutely everything we do. That not so quiet voice that issues the cant, wont, no point in trying type commands…
It can be debilitating…but there is hope!
After all, for many of us, that voice of negativity has been there ever since childhood. Like the critical teacher looking over our shoulder, endlessly criticizing the work we do.
We certainly can be our very worst critic, but we need to understand and believe that success is within reach!
If we want success, if we are willing to go out there and grab success and its opportunities with both hands, we will.
In his “Inspiration a Day” mailing list, Josh Hinds said: “When you do a thing, know that success is within your grasp! All too often we are our own worst enemies. The bottom line is you were made for success!”
It’s true!
You were made for your success !