The outcome is what we all strive for, but it should not be our daily focus. The process is in the now and the present moment. The less we think score and the end result of what is to come after 18 holes of golf, the more we will progress exponentially faster. After having been around elite athletes, a distinct pattern is apparent to how they continue to breakthrough the different levels of their game. You may automatically think that these people do extraordinary and nearly impossible practices to get where they are but if you only knew how simple it was, you would apply these practices to elevate your own game.
I often have conversations over the phone with my brother, Eun-Chul Lee, who currently resides in South Korea. We talk of how he prepared for five Olympic Games, breaking world records, and winning a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Even though he has his own tech business now, his passion is still in sports and continues to coach and surround himself with other world-class athletes who have also won gold medals and achieved top levels in other sports. Most importantly, we talk of beginners and young athletes that are new to the sport and that it is such a delightful and delicate time where positive reinforcement and healthy introduction to the game is most important at this stage.
I am a golfer and my brother is a sharpshooter and his friends played other sports like track and field or weight-lifting, and with all the various sports, I have discovered that their is a distinct and similar pattern to success. When I teach my students, I certainly do not have world-class expectations unless they make that a choice for themselves but I do know that I have witnessed a lot of great athletes and their road to progress both mentally and physically is worth looking into so that everyone can reach their own personal goals and potential.
In Part 2 of Inside A World Class Athlete’s Mind, I will discuss how certain behavior and attitude can accelerate the learning curve.
