Golf can get be frustrating… so can life. I remember the first time I took the PAT (Playing Ability Test) when I started my journey to become a PGA Apprentice.
Yes, I was nervous.
I thought I was prepared.
The PAT is setup for two 18 hole rounds in one day.
Generally, you have to shoot a 75 or 76 or better each round to qualify.
Once you pass the PAT, you can then begin work towards your full PGA card.
Don’t pass and you are stuck waiting another few months before you can try again.
Some guys I know took the test 20 times and never passed! Yet, they soldiered on.
So what does my PAT round have to do with frustration?
The first time I took the PAT, I left the course like a big baby.
I was cussing and throwing clubs and feeling sorry for myself.
Frustrated.
I wasn’t prepared.
No confidence in my putting. Not enough practice in pressure situations.
It was pretty clear after the first 12 holes, I wasn’t going to make the cut.
My nerves had destroyed any fluidity in my swing…
…all I could think of was failing.
This round taught me one of the greatest lessons of my life:
How to deal with frustration and turn a negative in to a positive.
I wasn’t playing in the moment. My brain was thinking a lot of negative thoughts about future events that had not even happened yet!
Mentally, I was focusing on the wrong things.
Physically, I wasn’t prepared.
It’s OK to get frustrated… if you have put in the work.
If you haven’t, then think about what led to you failing or stopping short of reaching your goal.
This is the time to learn from your mistakes.
For me, I put myself in pressure situations, worked on weaknesses in my game, and exercised more.
I also wasn’t living in the present.
I was worried about hitting a bad shot, what people would think of me, and how embarrassed I would be.
The reality was, I wasn’t even 12 holes in and I was DONE.
When you are feeling frustrated about your golf game, weight loss, work, family issues you need to ask yourself one question:
What can you learn from your mistakes?
Hanging on to bad memories from the last shot or failed exercise attempts don’t help you get better.
You see… you have to be in the here and now…
… the present.
Golf and everyday life are no different.
Just because you didn’t exercise yesterday doesn’t mean you can’t today.
Just because you didn’t start January 1st, doesn’t mean you can’t start today (do you really want January 1 to roll around again for you to try?).
The reality is… you need to focus on today.
The now.
JUST DO IT.
