There are many parallels between the game of golf and the game of life and some of them are demonstrated in a move that is on my list of “top ten movies to watch” … how’s that for the beginning of a Don Post???

I watched the movie over the weekend (again) and was reminded of some of the messages in it. We sometimes forget that both games are played for the enjoyment of the play and there is not a way to win in either case. Let’s start with a simple examination of golf as a game and I’ll extrapolate into life and show how it all works. Golf is subject to many variables, like the level of expertise of the player(s), the sophistication or lack in their equipment, the wind or weather in general and even a huge factor of chance (we all don’t hit every shot with the same club head speed and precision). So on any given day a group of 4 will all have a relatively different experience – even though the score at the end might be similar. Factor in our personal variables and you can see how the game is to be “played and not won” … it really is not the score that counts it is the experience of the game that is the most important. How we focus on each shot – visualize our ball landing in a certain spot or even dropping in the cup. How our proficiency translates into striking the ball in the same or similar way each time we swing the club. And how much we enjoy or struggle with our own game is a measure of how we play. And, at least for those of us who play the game of golf, how we translate all these details into our “play in the game of life” and whether we focus on our goals and have clarity of our path.

Goal setting in life is similar to taking a shot on the golf course. In both we are focused on where we are going and how it feels when we achieve our goal. We are not paying attention to how someone else is playing (other than as anecdotal evidence of possibilities).

In the end, set your goals, be clear on your rewards and, most importantly, JUST ENJOY THE GAME.