Life Lessons My Children Taught Me On The Golf Course

Yesterday, I played golf with my 8-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son.

WE…

HAD…

A…

BLAST!!

Although my kids are new at golf, I am amazed at how much THEY teach ME… if I pay attention! Here's what I learned from them:

1. NEVER GIVE UP – Yeah I know… that Winston Churchill guy may have said something about never giving up, but my kids have a quote of their own: “Just one more try!” Translated: Can I keep trying until I hit a great shot or I’ve hit all of your golf balls into the water?

After a poor shot, they immediately want to try it again. They’re tenacious… I love that about them (well most of the time.). They seek success.

As adults, in life or in business, it’s easy for us to give up… after trying just ONCE!! Consider that it took Mac O’Grady 17 times before he qualified for the PGA TOUR. It took Thomas Edison thousands of times before he got the light bulb just right. It took a friend of mine 200 auditions before he landed THE one film job that eventually led to movie fame. If they would have stopped just one "try" short… well… their lives… their outcomes… would have been altered… perhaps forever.

Are YOU willing to try again? And again? And again? And again… X 58… to succeed?

2. FOCUS ON THE GOOD, NOT THE BAD – When my wife asked our kids about how they played, they spoke ONLY about their great shots. My daughter proudly told my wife that she shot a 58… for nine-holes. You’d think she won the U.S. Open! Excitedly, she then recalled the four or five great shots she had… NOT… the 53 “not so good” ones.

Oftentimes when I ask golfers about their playing experience, I hear things like, “I three-putted four times…” or “I lost three balls and hit two out of bounds…” or “I had two double-bogeys and six bogeys….”

The next time someone asks you how you’re doing, refrain from going into all the "negatives." CHOOSE to focus on the positive things that are going on in your life! It makes for better conversation AND perhaps will help you realize that… well… there are a lot of good things going on in your life. Use the good… to motivate you to great… to motivate you to REMARKABLE!

3. ASK FOR ADVICE – My kids constantly asked me for advice. And while I encouraged them to experiment with and try different golf shots… they knew that I had information and experience that could help them. Knowledge that could save them time and effort… “shortcuts” that could enhance their abilities and enjoyment.

I find it amusing when golfers spend “big bucks” purchasing clubs to “fix” their problem rather than investing in a golf lesson for a fraction of the price that could produce greater results.

How about you? Are you trying to do it on your own? Don’t! Seek advice from experts… people who have been where you are and have accomplished what you want. You won’t be perceived as weak or incompetent. Au contraire… asking for advice could very well save you time, money, and angst… translated: more time and money for you to do other things… like play golf!

4. HELP EACH OTHER – I was impressed with how much my children helped each other. Although they were competitive at times (not that that’s a bad thing), they also found great pleasure in helping each other and being the “expert.” And NOT in a “know-it-all” kind of way. But with genuine desire to help.

I like that. I think many leaders, for fear that they would be perceived as incompetent, or no longer needed, attempt to protect themselves by NOT sharing any knowledge with others. The only time they do is when they are quick to point out someone else’s faults. Tsk… tsk.

True leadership is about building other leaders. I like what Ralph Nader said, “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” Amen!

Well there you have it:

1.    NEVER GIVE UP.
2.    FOCUS ON THE GOOD, NOT THE BAD.
3.    ASK FOR ADVICE.
3.5. HELP EACH OTHER.

I asked my kids if there was anything that I should add to this list. They said I left out the most important lesson... HAVE FUN! Oh yeah... DUH! on my part. How did I miss that?

While these tips may not help you improve your golf game (then again they might!), learn from my children… they know what they’re doing!