What is your why?

Why do you play golf?

Why do you want to get better?

What makes you lug those clubs to the range and torture yourself with the pursuit of deciphering the magic code to golf?

Whenever we take on the task of getting better or learning something new, I think it’s important to have a solid understanding of what your “Why” is. Why are you doing this? What is motivating you? We may not fully understand how to do something new but if we understand our why behind it, this will keep us motivated to push to figure out how.

The things we do consistently over time in our lives all have a why behind it. We have reasons for doing things. For example, why do you go to work? It may solely be for the paycheck to pay your bills and afford the lifestyle you enjoy. Maybe you get up everyday and go to work with the focus on what the paycheck provides for you and your family. That may be all you need for your why to get through each day at work.

I remember when I first started working in Physical Therapy, I loved it so much that I couldn’t believe I got paid to help people get better. Once the novelty of this new founded enthusiasm wore off after many years working in the healthcare industry that underpays and overworks you, that all has changed. Over time, with more duties added, corporate dictating higher daily caseloads with no dedicated paperwork time, it has become much harder. I’ve had really lean on my why.

My why is I really enjoy being a pivotal part in helping someone get better. This is why I put up with the other stuff. I have to sift through more to find this silver lining, but I have held strong with my desire to help others. That is what keeps me going back to work. It’s why I take that extra step to make sure I provide quality care. It's my desire to make a difference in someone’s life. That is my why. I care and I want to make a difference.

I feel the same desire to help golfers improve their game. This is why I decided to write the Break 70 Roadmap program and now these blog articles. My why is that I want to share with others what helped me get better and maybe inspire someone along the way. Starting up this business has not been easy, but I have a very strong belief that this program simplifies the process for getting better and can help people play better golf and enjoy the game more. This is what gets me up at 4 am to write blog articles before I go to work.

Another example for what can create motivation could be that you went to the doctor and your lab work came back with results showing that your health is in jeopardy. So your why is that you feel the pressure to do something about it now. You need to make lifestyle changes. You want to be healthier and live longer. There is an urgency and priority to your why. Or maybe you have a reunion or a wedding coming up and you want to slim down. That is your why. Your why is what gets you up and into the gym everyday. It’s what makes you turn down that invite to pizza with friends. Your motivation is what gives you tunnel vision to stay the course.

Back to golf...what drives you to work on your game?

For me, I decided to play golf late. I bought some cheap clubs, took some lessons and then I was hooked.  It was the rush when I hit a good shot, made good contact that made me want to keep getting better.  It was the challenge of it all because it took what felt like a kajillion bad shots to get one really good one. And that one good one is what keeps you coming back! It’s really hard to achieve pure contact on purpose consistently. That is part of what fascinates me with golf. The pursuit, the challenge, the satisfaction of hitting a great shot, the possibility that each hole offers for doing better. I want to pull those shots off more often and under pressure. That is why I show up to practice with the purpose of trying to improve and push the bar as far as I can.

Why do you want to get better at golf?

Whatever your “why”, that is what is driving you to stay the course until you meet your goal. If you don’t have a clear understanding of your why, then you won’t be committed to persevere through the difficult or challenging times and you will be more likely to veer off course. We are more willing to put up with discomfort when we understand why we are doing something. We can look past the hard parts because there is purpose. Conversely, if we don’t know why we are wanting to make a change, then everything will seem overwhelming and will feel like it’s just too much work.

Define your why to gain clarity with your motivation.

What is your Why?