I am extremely fortunate to have two little girls that I see every day. My youngest is three months old and my oldest is almost three years old. There are many things I have learned from both of them, but there is one thing I noticed about each of them as newborns. They breathed properly, immediately. I find it interesting that we start out breathing properly and then we shift somewhere along the way. Let’s explore why.

In Nancy Weil’s book “If Stress Doesn’t Kill You, Your Family Might”, she offers highly effective ways to reduce stress and enjoy your life more freely. Nancy addresses one of the silent killers in this country, and how to overcome it on a daily basis. Stress creates panic, worry, tension, emotional disarray, improper breathing, and a variety of other A.N.T.s (Automatic Negative Thoughts) too lengthy to mention. One specific way to overcome daily stress is through proper breathing, and here is what Nancy recommends.

Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Take a few breaths and notice which hand is moving. If it is your upper hand, you are stress breathing. If it is your lower hand, you are breathing deeply (and properly) from your diaphragm. Once you have mastered the art of proper breathing, try “The 4-4-4 Breath”. It goes like this:

1 – Inhale while counting to four very slowly.
2 – Hold your breath for a slow count of four.
3 – Exhale to a slow count of four.

Five to ten exhales of this simple exercise will leave you feeling calm and very relaxed. This exercise is so enjoyable and works extremely well. It is like taking a brief time out from life, or a mini vacation. A quick tip to remember this exercise is to try it right now, or think about 4x4x4 = 64. Upon completing this exercise you will feel 64 times more relaxed

Relaxation through proper breathing may be the most simplistic way to improve your game. Relaxation is not just about overcoming first tee jitters or swinging freely, it is so much more than that. It provides you a quiet mind and body, allowing you to stay focused on your process, regardless of your results. It provides the clarity to think objectively under pressure, or after hitting a shot out of bounds. Relaxation also provides calm when the group in front of you decides to make it their longest round of the year. By relaxing daily and improving your breathing technique, you will play better golf and enjoy more of what each day offers.

To incorporate Nancy’s 4-4-4 breathing tip into your life, grab a copy of her book today. To receive your 15% discount on the book, use the promo code ANTS.  Click here to order now.

MAKE YOUR NEXT ROUND YOUR BEST ROUND EVER.

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In my post from August 21st of this year, I asked “Can An A.N.T. Take Down a Tiger”? It questioned whether Tiger Woods would bow down to his A.N.Ts (Automatic Negative Thoughts) and let them overtake one of the mentally toughest athletes of all time. It appears, for now at least, that the Tiger has a fighting chance.

I realize it is December and the Chevron World Challenge is not typically a tournament that catches the attention of the golfing world, however this year was different. Tiger Woods won. In his press conference after winning for the first time in 2 years, he talked about walking up 18, winning and what’s next. He said it felt very normal walking up the final fairway, but admitted he was definitely nervous. I paid close attention to his body language the last few holes and did not see any signs of tension or nervousness. However there was something else I did observe.

When you watch Tiger or any other great athlete, you can sense their level of concentration and confidence in their eyes (eye of the tiger). He does not have that focused look back, yet. It was evidenced after his beautiful approach shot on the 18th Sunday, but overall it is just not there. What you have seen from Tiger in the last two years reinforces one thing. Confidence is very fragile. His confidence was shattered after his personal life was turned upside down, and it is slowly starting to come back. Of course, everyone wants to see if his winning ways are back, or if the A.N.T.s are going to make 2012 another challenging year for him.

Everyone gains and loses confidence throughout their life, however it is so important to keep in mind that when you lose it, it is only temporary. One of the quickest ways to climb back up the confidence ladder, is to tell yourself what you need to hear. You must condition your subconscious mind to regain that confidence, and steer you in the right direction. One simple solution is to write down 3-5 short, positive statements and start to reprogram yourself for success. Statements that begin with “I am” or ” I will” typically work best. Read these statements aloud every morning and every night. This is a fabulous way to ignite your day and fuel your engine (subconscious mind) with positive thoughts while you sleep. This highly effective exercise will yield quick results in terms of your mental frame of mind, however it does require patience and you should not expect tangible results immediately. It may take days, weeks or months depending on your situation, but I guarantee one thing. If you implement this simple technique, you will achieve what you desire, faster and more effectively.

Stay focused and confident by eliminating the A.N.T.s from your game.

MAKE YOUR NEXT ROUND YOUR BEST ROUND EVER.

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I have been listening to a couple of highly successful entrepreneurs (James Malinchak and Michael Ellsberg) recently, and both offer some great advice on networking. While each message is a bit different, they are fundamentally the same. “Networking is imperative in your life, regardless of what you do or want to become.” Their information started me thinking about how I network, and when it started in my life. I realized that my first job was from my network (family member), and my college decision was based on a recommendation from my network (personal friend). We are networking all the time, sometimes unknowingly. The thing I love about networking is that you never know where it can go. For example, I met my business partner, Gary Occhino, through a mutual colleague, Brendan Cunningham of Excelleron Business Consulting. I met Brendan in the most unusual networking way possible, through another mutual colleague (Chuck Barrett). Here is how it happened.

I was meeting with Chuck in his office one day, and he happened to have some of his clients business cards in his office. For no particular reason, I took one of Brendan Cunningham’s card and put it in my wallet. Later that night, I went to an open house for a local country club. The open house was for current members and prospective members, so everyone was wearing name tags. I was there mingling, networking, having a great time, when I looked over at this guy’s name tag that was standing next to me. It was Brendan Cunningham. I knew it was the same Brendan Cunningham because his picture was on his card that was in my wallet, from earlier that day. So I casually walked over and said “Hi, my name is Brendan Cunningham”, and handed him his own business card. Talk about an ice breaker.

Another great way to NETwork is via the Net. I am an avid user of the social networking program LinkedIn, which is how I met Patrick Gorman from MindMeasures. Patrick saw and read my free e-book “Master The Thinking Game”, through a LinkedIn group called Linked:Golfers. MindMeasures offered a mental game soccer assessment and was looking for a business partner to develop a golf assessment. INDARE had the expertise they were looking for. It was a great match made possible through the power of networking (INDARE Golf and Mind Measures will offer the MindMeasures Mind Power assessment, starting in December, on www.indaregolf.com).

The takeaway from this article is that NETworking really works and you must do it to achieve greater levels of success, regardless of your desires. Make it fun, make it different, make it challenging, but most importantly, make it happen.

MAKE YOUR NEXT ROUND YOUR BEST ROUND EVER.

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The last two weeks, we have been discussing topics from the book “Path of Least Resistance” by Robert Fritz. This book is based on the concept of Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life. The last topic I will share from this book is determining what you want conceptually, before you create your vision of what you want specifically. Fritz says “There is a difference between concept and vision. Concept comes before vision. Concept is general, vision is specific. In the conceptual period you are experimenting with ideas. You are mentally trying out various possibilities. This is a formative period where you may meditate, think, walk, look at the sky, take a bath, dream, talk with friends and so on. In a way, the conception period has a feeling of play to it. Playing around with concepts. Trying it this way and that and living with it in your imagination for a period of time.”  Before we apply this concept to your golf game, let’s think of it in terms of planning a vacation.

Imagine that you want to take a vacation, but you are unsure where to go or what to do. Before you can envision what you want from this vacation, you start thinking about what you want conceptually. Since an immediate decision is not required, you simply think about it for a few days and let your subconscious mind go to work. After a few days pass, you realize you want a vacation that is going to provide you complete relaxation (concept). Once you have determined that it is going to be a week of R&R, you start to imagine what that looks like specifically (vision). You conjure up images of a secluded resort allowing you to relax in the outdoors. You see trees as you walk through a clear path, and envision yourself smiling when you realize you are free and completely disconnected from your day to day life (sounds pretty good to me). You then start to research your location and plan your trip (action). Now for your golf game.

What Do You Really Want from the game of golf? Take some time and really think about that question. Start with an empty canvas, as Fritz says, and come up with some general ideas and concepts. You may discover that what you want is simply to be happier on the course, or to become a more consistent player. Perhaps you want to start a career in the golf industry, or maybe you want to play more competitively and eventually get paid to play professionally. Greg Norman, who was the #1 golfer in the world for 331 weeks, said that he simply wanted to be the absolute best he could be (Norman won 88 professional tournaments around the globe, including two major championships).  Whatever you decide conceptually, I guarantee it will shift your thinking.

After you have done this with golf, apply this exercise in another area of your life (career, relationship, school, group or association, business, hobby, etc.). You will experience thinking more creatively, taking different actions due to a clear thought process, communicating more openly and most importantly, enjoying whatever you are doing, with greater intensity.

MAKE YOUR NEXT ROUND YOUR BEST ROUND EVER.

If you like this article and want to share it with the world on Facebook or Twitter, I sincerely thank you for that.

In last week’s post, I shared information from Robert Fritz’ book entitled “The Path of Least Resistance”. In this book, he talks about shifting the way you think about solving your problems and moving towards creating solutions. When you attempt to solve a problem, you reinforce that a problem exists. When you try to eliminate this particular problem, you typically arrive back at the same problem. With a subtle shift in your thought process towards creating a solution, you:

1 – Open your thought process to new ideas
2 – Enjoy the process of achieving your desired result
3 – Create lasting positive change

He refers to those who take the path of least resistance as being in the reactive-responsive orientation. This means that most people either react and/or respond to the situation, making it nearly impossible to incorporate a creative solution. When you live your life as a creator, life becomes interesting, exciting and special. How does this apply to your golf game?

Let’s say you are experiencing a “problem” of hooking your ball off the tee with your driver. You have gone to the range to correct it and seem to have the “problem” under control. Prior to your next round your thoughts are “not to” hook your drives, however these thoughts start to consume you as your round begins. You are thinking of the mechanics you worked on at the range, but your continued focus on your “problem” disallows you from swinging freely.  You eliminate your ability to focus on your target, and you become so frustrated with your results that it cascades into other parts of your game. It is time to create a solution.

To create your solution you must determine what result you want to create. You can envision hitting a straight drive, or perhaps a soft fade or a slight draw. This allows you to shift your thoughts towards success and your ultimate desired result. In doing so, you have created a fundamental shift in your thought process allowing yourself a much higher likelihood for success. The next steps are to focus on your process and pick your specific target where the ball will land.

Apply this thought process into your game, and your life, and allow yourself to become the creative force in your life.

MAKE YOUR NEXT ROUND YOUR BEST ROUND EVER.

If you like this article and want to share it on Facebook or Twitter, I sincerely thank you for that.