In my last round, I discovered the root cause of my recent problems on the course. My motives have changed.


Green Thoughts by eltigre at flickr.com

I credit most of my success over the past 2 years in improving my game to an emphasis on learning and having fun. My performance just naturally improved. It appears that my motivation has now changed and has become more centered on performance. I think it's safe to assume that I let my guard down and allowed my ego to change my motives for playing.

Ron Mann, Ph.D., a certified GolfPsych instructor and Peak Performance coach, writes in an article on motivation that, "when you are highly and positively motivated, and use golf as a learning experience, you will stay even-minded, even when you are not scoring well. On the other hand, when you are highly motivated, but for the wrong reasons, you can work very hard at trying to accomplish something, but continually fail. When desire to impress others or prove yourself drive your motivation, it ultimately creates negative self-talk, increased tension and loss of concentration."

I'm looking forward in my coming rounds to rediscovering my desire for learning and self-improvement and playing for the simple love of the game. I'm especially looking forward to my round tomorrow with my son who is taking time from his busy schedule to play his fifth round of golf.

Labels: Disciplines, Motivation, Ron Mann