In golf, as in life, it is important to have goals.  Some may strive for a certain number of pars during a round.  Some may strive to break an aggregate score (100?  90?  80?).  Some may just want to win a few dollars in a friendly wager.  And some may even chase the ultimate goal of shooting one’s age during a round of golf (I would have to live to 102 to even sniff this milestone!).  But there is a singular goal that most golfers can agree is the ultimate feat.  One that brings a flood of adrenaline, emotion and unadulterated chaos to anyone who has achieved, or even witnessed, this poetic act of beauty.  Yes.  The hole-in-one!

The hole-in-one celebration has become the stuff of legends on the internet, and across golf courses all over the world.  It requires skill mixed with a little luck (what major goal doesn’t?) and unleashes sheer joy and pandemonium to all those in its wake.  And from the time I picked up the game in earnest fifteen years ago, I have been unsuccessfully hunting down this elusive white whale.

I have pictured the celebration in my mind more times than I can count.  Would I swim across the lake of a watery par three to retrieve my ball?  Would I dump my clubs on the the tee box and walk away from the game on top? Or would I “act like I have been there before” and simply nod my head in approval? (Unlikely!)  Regardless of my reaction, I wanted to be prepared for the big moment.  So, many years ago, I stashed two mini Fireball shots in my bag, in case my hole-in-one lottery ticket cashed in.  (Editor’s note:  I’m really not a Fireball guy anymore.  It seemed much more appealing fifteen years ago!) Anyway, it was a tangible way of providing motivation and concretely acknowledging my goal.  And it was a reminder that I needed to think positively and be prepared for the possibility of success.

And couldn’t we all use similar reminders in our everyday lives?

We Need to Plan Our Celebrations

In our work lives, we all have different goals and dreams.  Whether we want to rise to CEO , sell our company, win the top sales award, or simply make enough to pay for our children’s education, we should never lose sight of them. But these goals shouldn’t be theoretical.  They shouldn’t be fantasy.  We will need to work hard (and have a little luck!). But the road is long and windy and sometimes those crystal clear plans fall into the murky middle of life. We need to keep them top of mind.  We need to picture ourselves achieving our dreams and plan celebrations for climbing to the top of the mountain.  And we need reminders along the way.

Maybe we keep a picture of a dream retirement house.  Or save a bottle of champagne for that big promotion.  Or write down our lifetime goal at the top of our daily “to-do” list.  Whatever it is, an outward and concrete reminder will keep our goals top of mind.  And we will need those reminders when the path inevitably turns bumpy.

We Must Never Stop Believing

Keeping those goals in mind is easy when the wind is at our back.  But life rarely plays out in a straight line.  We will make wrong decisions.  We will lose deals.  We will fall into ill health.  We will have a crisis in faith.  We will disappoint and be disappointed.  All of that is okay.  We are human and not everyone’s life is a fairy tale.  But it is during these times when our resilience is put to the test.  We block out the future and grind out in the grim day-to-day.  And our goals drift away from us like a slow walk up the down escalator.

When life delivers haymakers, it is natural to lose sight of those dreams and give in to the negative inertia.  But, especially in those low moments, we must never stop believing.  And that is why we need something more than thoughts and daydreams. We need tangible reminders to get us back on track.  We need to see that success is still possible.  And we need to plan for inevitable celebration!

We Have to Keep the Faith

Excelling at golf, as in life, takes planning, patience, and an incredible amount of hard work.  But, as in life, there is still no guarantee of success.  Our game can careen off the rails at any moment.  So…when I skip my drive across the water like a stone…when I duff one straight left off the tee…when I top the ball into the underbrush…I have to take a deep breath and remember what is still possible.  It seems my goal of a hole-in-one will never happen.  It seems I couldn’t be further from my dream.  But then I look into the bottom of my golf bag at those two golden bottles.  Someday!

We need to stay resilient.  We need to keep the faith.  Anything is still possible.

Bottoms up!