CREATE THE 2023 GOLF GAME THAT YOU DESIRE

The New Year has begun and no matter where you live, now would be a grand time to do something different. The beginning of a new year brings the promise of change; the resolution that we can release something old and manifest something new. Begin the magical process of creating the golf game now that you have always dreamed of having.

I have enjoyed working with golfers for the past 30 years because they are so enthusiastic about improving their golf games and will do (or buy) anything that they think will lower their scores and handicaps.

Upgrade Your Mental Game 

The mental game of golf is about advance preparation of your mind-body-spirit so you will be calm, alert, confident, focused, and in control when you step on the first tee. When we have learned that positive thoughts create positive outcomes while negative thoughts create negative outcomes, we have learned the power of the mind, body, and spirit connection.

We all have individual golf swings, and we all have individual mental habits that keep us from playing at our peak performance level.

Do you still have excess baggage in the form of fear, anxiety and worry that you are carrying with you to the golf course? Until you let go of old beliefs that cause these emotions, your game will suffer.

As the cartoon character Pogo said, “We have found the enemy and he is us.” The more you know yourself, the happier you will be, and the better your golf game will be.

When you master something, you know how to do it without thinking about it. In golf we call it being in the zone. The most important thing you can ever learn in your life is to trust and allow. The more you tap into allowing (instead of controlling), the stronger your desires become and happen more often. What you desire is to feel free so you can enjoy playing instead of struggling to accomplish some goal.

Effective Goal Setting        

The new year is when most of us set goals for self-improvement. Within a few weeks those goals are no longer as important in our lives. The reason the new goals don’t work is because we tend to focus on the negative and what didn’t work. To accomplish a goal, you need to create positive mental habits that support the desired change.  If you have short term as well as long-term goals, they can help to cure anxiety and burn-out or “the poor me” (pity pot) syndrome. It is important to focus primarily on the short-term goals which will keep you motivated and move you toward your long-term goal.

Declare your “dream” goal of your ultimate best in the future so you know where you are headed. Then set a goal(s) to be accomplished daily that incorporate the following:

1. You must want to achieve the short-term goal.
2. You have a 50% chance of success or more of accomplishment.
3. You must believe you can achieve the goal.
4. The goal must be positive.
5. It takes 30 days to form a habit. Challenge yourself to accomplish the short-term goal daily for a minimum of 30 days.
6. Every day, recognize and write down when you were successful. Keeping track of your progress is important to learn about unconscious patterns of thought interfering with your success.
7. If you skip a day, you need to begin again as you have broken the train of thought which creates the habitual pattern.

All your thoughts are stored in your subconscious mind. If negative thoughts are repeated over and over, they produce thought patterns, feelings and actions that are not helpful. If critical thoughts originated in childhood, and were reinforced over your lifetime without being changed, they will surface under emotional stress.

Do something different 

1. Golfers like to win. Winning is tied into your self-worth. When you have an attachment to your score, it affects your self-worth. Are you sabotaging yourself with fear of failure to achieve your desired outcome?
2. Feeling guilty about not being good enough is the disconnect from your authentic self. Thinking about feeling guilty takes you down the fear path. Is it worth continuing to hold on to regrets and suffer the negative emotions generated by it? Forgiveness sets you free from the past and from recreating similar experiences.
3. What are you looking for? Fill yourself up with positive feelings of success. Visualize yourself as the golfer you have always dreamed of becoming.  Imagine this compelling vision daily for 30 days and you will have changed the habit of limiting fearful thoughts into personal enjoyment.
4. Trust your intuition in making decisions. If something doesn’t feel right to you, trust your feelings. Intuition is your innate ability to know what to do without having to consciously think about it. Intuition is the language of your heart which is the true connection to your authentic self.
5. Transform yourself by moving out of your comfort zone of self-doubt. You are the only thinker in your brain. Step out of your own way. Recognize your limiting thoughts and overcome them with positive, self-assuring beliefs about yourself and your abilities.
6. To create space for what you truly desire, allow yourself to let go of what is no longer working for you. Create an uplifting attitude that good things are coming to you and more will come sometime in the next year.
7. Connecting your mind, body, heart, and spirit is the formula for the grand possibility of a wonderful, abundant, healthy year to come.
8. Give your golf game a fresh start by trusting that you have within you all you will ever require for your whole golf game. Write, direct and star in the movie of your life and golf game. Have fun with your golf game, your life, and yourself by creating 2023 as your best year ever.

If you are a typical golfer, you frequently take lessons so you will know what to practice. You spend time physically practicing your golf swing. You stretch and exercise your muscles for strength and flexibility. Do you also practice your mental skills? Consider practicing being in a confident, joyful mental state where you can produce peak results in your life and in your golf game.

Every day imagine your golf game where you feel in complete control. Imagine playing where it is easy for you to stay in the moment and focus on each shot. Where you can let go of missed shots and trust your swing. Where you can make up for missed greens with an accurate short game. Where your confidence soars with each shot that you create. When you putt you remain calm. Where you possess total confidence and remain composed in competition. When playing the last few holes your concentration intensifies and you finish strong. You congratulate yourself for playing up to your potential enjoying the feeling of success! This is the pleasure we are all seeking.

Create a new year of possibilities. Take the time to envision the golf game you desire, and the golfer that you aspire to be. What you think, you create. What you can conceive and believe…… you can achieve!

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

 If you have a question, or need help with your mental game, email Joan at  pmi4@bellsouth.net or phone 828.707.5478 for a free consultation to learn about mental golf coaching in person, or world-wide by phone. Learn what is missing in your game so you can achieve the success you desire.

To train your brain to believe in yourself and in your abilities to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-empowering guided imagery self-hypnosis CDs/Mp3s in the privacy of your own home during the off season. All eight different CDs/MP3s are available at www.pmi4.com/cart

 “THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” explores and explains negative emotions such as fear and performance anxiety, the four Cs of mind blockage, the four progressive stages of learning the supreme intelligence of the heart, and the way to access the zone in competition. It is a player’s guide for developing your true inner self by returning to joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.

 “THE HEART OF GOLF” guidebook for transforming your life and your golf game is available on Amazon and Kindle https://amzn.to/2MQzjfq 

All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!