Why a Life Coach is Like a Golf Pro

“The most important shot in golf is the next one.” – Ben Hogan

I would call myself an average golfer. I have golfed since I was 16 years old (and that is almost 40 years ago!). I get a bit better each year just because I play but not significantly better. Sometimes I have had some beautiful shots but other times I have just flubbed the ball! I am embarrassed to admit this but once in a while, after a few bad strokes, I even have held my breath, have taken a back swing and have hoped for the best, with no idea of what I was doing in my game that worked and what was not!! I was sick of the same old shots and the same old scores. It was after a series of high golf scores and a new level of frustration that I finally decided it was time to change my habits and improve my game. That’s when I went to a golf pro. His name is Richard! I began working with Richard last winter and I have liked the way he helps me! There have been some golf lessons where Richard has revisited the basics: the grip, the stance, the weight shift. Many of these basics I have been taught or have heard before, but for some reason, they haven’t become second nature in my swing. Perhaps my inconsistent and mediocre playing has been a result of a lack of focus. Maybe I had been replacing the original habits I had been taught so many years ago with new bad habits. Perhaps it had been of the little time I had devoted to practicing the game! Or maybe I had been so overwhelmed with all the tips and hints I have received over the years from a plethora of sources, that I really have had no idea about who I was as a golfer or what made sense for me; I hadn’t found my inner Golf Goddess or my authentic golf self! Or maybe it had been a little bit of all these issues! And then there have been other golf lessons that I have had with Richard where he has pointed to some quirk that I have developed in my game that I haven’t been consciously aware of that I was doing. But because he is a pro and he has an incredible wealth of knowledge about the sport, he has seen through my foibles just by observing me. Richard has an incredible bag of tools and insightful tips to help me learn, feel differently and to grow as a golfer. However, Richard has not made the change happen for me; I have. It has been me, internalizing what he has said and spending time practicing at the driving range. That’s what it has taken for me to get better. It has been my responsibility to practice between lessons so my new habits would stick and become routine on the golf course. I have had to put in the effort to get better! I am excited to get better, I am more motivated and I believe I can significantly improve my game under Richard’s tutledge! And all of a sudden I had an AH HA moment when trying to explain what a Life Coach can do for someone …. A life coach is exactly like a golf pro. Day-to-day life can be so over whelming with our many commitments and instantaneous, ever-in-touch pace of living that we can lose sight of our vision and sense of self. Sometimes we need someone to help see ourselves as who we are, to provide clarity about decisions, situations, or relationships. Like a golf pro, we want someone who is objective, with the tools and skills to help us be the best of self. Someone who can help us discover how to be more effective in daily life. We need someone to help us become more self-aware, teaching us the techniques we need to develop. Someone who can help us devise measurable, achievable outcomes, who can motivate us to achieve them and hold us accountable for them! However, the bottom line is that each of us has our own journey to travel in this beautiful life. It is up to us to decide how much energy we are willing to invest in ourselves to be the best we can be! I have found more joy in my golf game because I am playing consistently better. And while Richard was my coach, I did the work, I made the changes and I practiced hard to achieve success. A Life Coach is all that too!