In golf, the most appealing shots are at the beginning and end of the hole. You have your drive down the fairway and your putt for birdie. It looks very easy on TV. At least some would say that it does. That's very often the case when we watch professionals do what they get paid the "big bucks" to do. But what happens when that tee shot goes in the rough? The bunker? The pavement track around the course? In my humble opinion, that is when we see true professionals. When you're in an unfavorable spot, how will you work out the circumstance in your favor? How much is it worth for that outcome to play out how you imagined? I thought about this topic for at least two months. The long game of our lives. The short game is the 9-5, social media, daily interactions with others, driving places, eating, and other activities. What is the long game? How do we prepare for it?
If I've learned anything in this year of having this brand, it's been to wait. It's honestly translated to so many different areas in my life. My money, my relationships with others, my relationship with myself, and many more. I have lacked the ability & the desire to wait for a large part of my life. For me, it's a mindset that says, "Do it now, before you lose the ability/desire to do it." Those turn into a plethora of rushed decisions, volatile emotions, and jumbled thoughts. I've learned to be more methodical and calculated with the order in which I want them done. Is it a perfected skill? Not by any means. There is a great quote, though, by the great Les Brown:
"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."
So now the question is this: what do you do while you wait?
Merriam-Webster defines prowess as extraordinary ability, and/or distinguished bravery. Short game prowess is much more common to come by. Vanilla, as they would say. Long game prowess takes for you to be in a long game circumstance. As stated above, I had thought of this article long before I actually wrote it. I was playing this long game in my own life. Although I have a clothing brand by the name of Always Bet On Yourself, I still work a 9-5 to support it. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not. But that's the long game. This is long game circumstances. However, it wasn't my first, and it surely won't be my last. My prowess in these circumstances is what truly defines my game. It goes hand in hand. If I simply have prowess, I will have no patience. Yet, when we become content with our skill is when we become complacent and will never improve.
I always have been (and still am) a fan of Tiger Woods. Not only was he dominant, but he was also resilient. Such mental fortitude in a mentally grinding sport. A tiger he truly was. Swift, precise, and focused on each and every hole. I've always loved charismatic sports figures. Serena, Nadal, McGregor, Johnny Bones, Lomachenko, and now Adesanya. Charisma comes from confidence, which comes from preparation--more times than not at least. But in all sports, there are defining moments. Key moments that only true great athletes can take advantage of and recognize as their time to make their mark. What keeps us from looking at our lives the same way? Why don't we recognize the defining moments we have each and every day? What keeps us so focused on the short game, that we end up playing and losing the long game on the next hole? I thought over this in the months before writing this post, and I came to the conclusion that the long game isn't pressing. It isn't important. It holds no value to prepare yourself for those situations. It's only when you're in them that you use what you've learned. I think that's ridiculous. At a point in time, the areas that Steph, Dame, and Trae Young shoot from were once end-of-quarter heaves. Now the game has totally changed because someone decided to work on something they felt was valuable to their game for them to win and achieve at the highest level they could possibly reach. That's commendable. That's what we need to do more of. What makes us uncomfortable and begin to have familiarity with the unfamiliar.
Next time you're flipping through channels, stop on an invitational or an open. Gaze upon these athletes that have unsung mastery at the jobs they do. Watch long enough, you'll begin to see shots from the high grass. As that ball flies through the air and the approach to the hole is complete, you'll realize why the long game is vital to success. Utilize your hindsight to fill in what isn't clear, take what's given, and let 'er rip.
- II