Since it's the end of the month (I wrote this last week and had to wait on some edits), I want to highlight one of the folks who has recently worked with me. What I hope you will take away are four things.
1. This student followed thru on my 10-Day Challenge
2. His self-confidence and esteem was boosted
3. Not only in golf, he saw improvements in other areas of hislife, including school
4. He did see some regression (struggles in golf performance) in the middle of the season, but still did some honest self-reflection and saw another boost in performance.
If you want to read more in detail, then read on. If not, this final thought is what I hope you take with you.
We still will have struggles, even when we're confident. But we'll be able to better handle those struggles and/or bounce back from them more successfully.
More details:
Owen is a high school student and plays golf, basketball andbaseball. I gave a presentation to his golf team at the end of August on various mental training techniques. Within an hour of that presentation, he reached out to me and said he wanted to follow thru on my 10-Day Challenge and asked if I could help remind him each day to do it.
In the presentation, I had all the team members write down onpaper all the things they like about themselves and the things they believe they are good at. This is in regards to any aspect of themselves, not just golf. The Challenge was put forth for them to commit to reviewing their list for 10 days. Simply read (or mentally go thru the list) one time a day.
Only 5 days into the challenge, the student wrote me the following:
Tuesday, August 30, 2022 1:32PM
Yes I did {review my list} sorry for the late response yourmessage was moved to my junk email and I didn’t see it. I have been going over my list everyday so far and have been doing really well in golf recently!
later that evening at 9:05PM
Just had match about an hour ago. I wasn’t doing good at thestart and on the way to the third hole I wrote down on the scorecard my list and my motto and I ended up doing pretty good. I was the second best score in my first varsity match. (I am normally on j.v.)
After this student completed the 10-Day Challenge, I asked him to reflect on what the challenge brought for him. Here is what he wrote.
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
I have gotten many benefits of doing this 10-day challenge. Oneof them being just overall happier with my life and I believe it was because I reviewed my list every day. At first glance I was skeptical if this would really impact me at all. Throughout the 10 days I have achieved many small goals including doing well in sports and in school. Looking over my list everyday made me realize that how I play in sports and how I do in school doesn’t define who I am as a person. By looking over my list I was and still am able to realize that there are many things that I am good at and lots of things I like about myself. Knowing that I am more than just what I show in sports and school its lets me be more forgiving with myself and not being so hard on myself for not being good enough or up to my standards.
I followed up with this student last week to see if there wasanything he had to add after 3 more weeks and this is the chain of emails between us.
Sent:Thursday, September 29,2022 at 01:32:29 PM EDT
Subject: Re: Hello
Hey Rick,
My golfing had decreased near the end of the season sadly. I hadlost my swing path completely. But by my last match yesterday I was able to finish strong and regain my normal golf game and shoot what I was doing in the
beginning of the season. I have continued to look over my list not everyday though, I have done it for all my golf matches. I plan to keep looking over my list for all my sports games including basketball and baseball game that will be coming up over the next few months.
Sent: Thursday, September 29,2022 9:24:55 PM Subject: Re: Hello
Owen,
Sorry to hear about the dip in your golfing towards the end, butcongrats on finishing strong yesterday. Why do you think you were able to do that?
Coach Rick
Sent:Thursday, September 29,2022 at 09:53:36 PM EDT
Subject: Re: Hello
I think that it was partially because I looked over my list but Idid that every match. Also, I knew that I had to do good because it was my last match and I really wanted to do good and that put me in like a ultra focus mode.
Sent: Thursday, September 29,2022 10:00:17 PM
Subject: Re: Hello
Aha! I wondered if there might have been more focus given it was the last match of the season.
I want you to make a note of that experience and yourobservation about that. Keep that in mind when you approach a basketball game, a baseball game and your next golf matches. The focus you had yesterday is the
focus necessary for EVERY contest.
Well done with your observations and self-reflection. It's thathonesty with yourself that is going to lead you to more and more success!
Coach Rick
Sent: Thursday, September29, 2022 at 10:07:46 PM EDT
Subject:Re: Hello
Yes that will be my goal for my seasons this year is to havethat same focus. Thank you so much for all the help and this whole golf season!
If you want to experience the personal, academic and athleticsuccess Owen has begun to realize, take me up on the 10-Day Challenge. It's not that difficult to do but can have profound effects in transforming your self-esteem and confidence and consequently your performances in any area of your life.
I want to help you with that transformation!
Who's in? Write me a quick note back and I'll help you do the 10-Day Challenge, just like I did for Owen.
Sincerely,
Coach Rick
773-962-7070