Expectation: A STRONG BELIEF that something will happen or be of the case in the future.
VS.
Reality: A thing that is actually EXPERIENCED or SEEN
Our expectations can confuse us into thinking that our goals will bring us much more than they actually do, so we often pursue the wrong goals.
Ask yourself:
* What are you expecting from the situation
* Look at the positives you already possess
* Remind yourself that things are not always as good as they may appear for others
* Don’t beat yourself up
Stop reminding yourself what attributes your golf games does not possess, instead let your mind embrace the thoughts of the attributes you do have.
How many times have you stepped on the first tee and your goal was to shoot the best score that you have ever shot? Chances are that didn’t happen. The goal wasn’t a reality. You can’t let your emotions get to you when you are trying to attain something that has yet to be done before. The completion of your goal, should simply put you in a position to have shot your best score possible.
Here is how I think one should approach shooting their best score. You can only have one best score, so this should never be your goal because you are most likely going to fail…….every time. What is an attainable goal though, is trying to go out there and not short side yourself or put a new shot in play that you have been practicing. Work on consistently shooting 2-4 shots above your lowest score. Once you can do that, you will be able to have a better than average round and shoot your lowest score. It’s more about "how consistent can I get/stay" to shoot my best round. Once again, it should never be, "I am going to shoot my best round today."
From here what can we do?
The first and most important thing that you can do to better manage your expectations is becoming more aware of what you are expecting.
Before your next round, ask yourself these questions:
What are you expecting to accomplish from this round?
What are you expecting to be a challenge?
What aspect of your game do you expect to lean on the most?
These questions will be followed up with;
Where did these expectations come from and are they realistic?
If yes, what steps need to be performed in order to succeed?
VS.
Reality: A thing that is actually EXPERIENCED or SEEN
Our expectations can confuse us into thinking that our goals will bring us much more than they actually do, so we often pursue the wrong goals.
Ask yourself:
* What are you expecting from the situation
* Look at the positives you already possess
* Remind yourself that things are not always as good as they may appear for others
* Don’t beat yourself up
Stop reminding yourself what attributes your golf games does not possess, instead let your mind embrace the thoughts of the attributes you do have.
How many times have you stepped on the first tee and your goal was to shoot the best score that you have ever shot? Chances are that didn’t happen. The goal wasn’t a reality. You can’t let your emotions get to you when you are trying to attain something that has yet to be done before. The completion of your goal, should simply put you in a position to have shot your best score possible.
Here is how I think one should approach shooting their best score. You can only have one best score, so this should never be your goal because you are most likely going to fail…….every time. What is an attainable goal though, is trying to go out there and not short side yourself or put a new shot in play that you have been practicing. Work on consistently shooting 2-4 shots above your lowest score. Once you can do that, you will be able to have a better than average round and shoot your lowest score. It’s more about "how consistent can I get/stay" to shoot my best round. Once again, it should never be, "I am going to shoot my best round today."
From here what can we do?
The first and most important thing that you can do to better manage your expectations is becoming more aware of what you are expecting.
Before your next round, ask yourself these questions:
What are you expecting to accomplish from this round?
What are you expecting to be a challenge?
What aspect of your game do you expect to lean on the most?
These questions will be followed up with;
Where did these expectations come from and are they realistic?
If yes, what steps need to be performed in order to succeed?
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The trouble with expectations in golf, it is hard to predict all of the unpredictable variables. You could go out there and expect to not miss a fairway and then 5 holes in the round, the wind starts gusting and now that expectation is skewed and not as easily attainable. Whereas if the expectation was to not get yourself into any trouble off of the tee, you could miss a fairway in the right spot and still successfully keep that expectation intact. So when you are making your expectations for your next round, put yourself in the best possible position to succeed. I’m not saying that you should never compare yourself to somebody else, when talking about golf games, but when you do compare, you should only do so with players that are the same or worse than you. Never compare yourself to somebody that is better than you. All that comes from that is the creation of expectations that you will not be able to fulfill.
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The same can be said about expecations when you limit yourself. What typically happens to the person who is playing way better than their expectations?
Seriously, think about it? Do they end up playing the best round of their life? Or do they revert back to how they normally play because it is comfortable? The answer is revert back. They scare themselves into playing bad because they are not used to being in the position they are in and the only realistic direction for their game to go is down. It is when our expectation is to only focus on one shot at a time and giving it the respect that it deserves that we can allow ourselves to get out of the way and play our best golf. |
Ultimately, striving for more can lead you to working harder and being your best. At the same time it can rob you of your enjoyment, especially when you expect things to come more easily than they do.
Being more aware of your expectations and how they change your feelings toward your own reality can free you from disappointment and stress that comes from unrealistic expectations.
Being more aware of your expectations and how they change your feelings toward your own reality can free you from disappointment and stress that comes from unrealistic expectations.