Master Of Your Thoughts.

The 2020 Masters Tournament will be the 84th edition in this remarkable year taking place from the 12th-15th November 2020. It is highly unusual for the Masters to be held outside of April, never mind mid-November, and therefore presents a very different challenge!.

It's not just the course that will look different but also the feel of the place, especially with no fans hugging the fairways, cheering the players around the sacred grounds. 

So, as the most significant and talented players on the planet get ready to take centre stage this week who will be victorious on Sunday?  

How will you be watching and where in the world are you tuning in? Which golfers catch your eye? Who will be crowned the winner and walk away wearing the famous Green Jacket?

Preparation and focus play a considerable part in the build-up to any tournament, both physically and mentally. Even more so at THE MASTERS. 

Previous winners, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods all portray an inner strength to enable them to hold everything together that helps them get down to business. 

They all lead in those crunch moments. It takes courage, willpower, and a belief system that cannot be touched or interfered with, even from anything external. 

How big is there WHY and what will It bring them? 

What is driving them in their pursuit to win a major? 

How will they be focused on success and results?  

When I watch and play golf, certain parts of the game interest me. How tranquil golf courses are. How blessed we are to be in amazing soundings. We are out in the clean air doing what we love and keeping fit - socialising with friends sharing a common interest—competing and perhaps doing business. 

It's not what the swing looks like; it's not how far they can hit the ball; it's not focusing on the result when coaching golfers on the mental game, I look and listen for specific characteristics. 

Golfers - Living in Golfing Abundance Program. 

What's in the bag?

I believe that each previous winner became a MASTER of the 'CLUB.'

CLUB, A club is one tool but only one part of the whole system.  

CHARACTER, Our Character will change over time depending on certain factors, your environmental space and the people you are with. Your Character is different from others. It's your footprint. Be different. Be unique. Most of all, be yourself. Yes, it's great to model and be inspired by others; nonetheless, it's us who will choose what to do in the end. Especially as golfers, it comes down to your swing of that club playing that one shot. 

Seve, a two-time winner, had a charismatic approach to everyone he came into contact with. He displayed this even more so on the course. The most creative player ever in my eyes with a lively character and was entertaining to watch—bouncing up the fairways - caddy 20-30 yards following on behind. 

Jack, a six-time winner, played with a soft, gentle, respectful approach, but you tell inside he had the fire in him to WIN, every time he set foot on the fairways. Even to this day, listening to Jack on TV, he comes across gentle and polite - very calming. 

Tiger a now five times winner with his stern-faced image, fire in his eyes, tough cookie, hard to break down. Tiger changed the game in so many ways with his Character alone. 

The one thing they all have in common is a real desire, like a boxer stepping through the ropes. Nothing else matters. 

LANGUAGE PATTERNS, Both internal and external language. Language is not only words but other different factors,

Our most prominent form of communication is non-verbal, your Personal space, our presence - and your PHYSICAL BEING. 

Self–talk -, what words are you training your mind to use? What are you saying to yourself? The words you use will have a profound impact on what you are manifesting. Be mindful of what you say. Thoughts become things. 

We use language as one of the ways to create our model of the world, and we use it to represent our model to other people. Becoming aware of how language is used can and will have a significant impact on our game. 

USEFUL & NON USEFUL, Patterns and routines we may have installed some time ago, that were once useful, but have no impact on what we do. 

At the time of learning, they served a purpose enabling us to grow and develop new skills. Our skills (skills should stay the same, but they do improve with experience. The situation changes and situation can change dramatically throughout our working day and in every round of golf. 

If you are running old patterns over and over in your brain, you only react and respond to that pattern? Being open to change will help you adapt to your situation. This means to allow room for change. Yes, it's important to set out and train your mind to deal with stressful situations, fundamentally it is more useful to learn patterns that will deal with how you can respond and become less reactive in a pressure situation??

BEHAVIOUR, Our behaviour is driven by our emotional state and is linked to what is happening in our lives at that time.

Frustration at certain levels is okay. It's a release. Holding on to frustration can and will have a detrimental effect on how you move forward, especially carrying it into the next shot or making the next choice. Have you looked at the way you conduct yourself on the golf course and around other players? Have you looked at how you behave in certain situations? Even in home life, or around work colleagues? Are you self aware? 

I can help you focus on these areas to improve your game. 

Learning to live in the NOW is a great way to practice what state you want to be in; not getting ahead of yourself.

The thoughts you hold in your mind can and will affect our behaviour. 

Learning about mindfulness and how to meditate correctly will help determine your chosen outcome. 

Following these simples steps will give you a more composed look at your perspective. Change your perspective, change your life!

Having the skills to push on to be successful takes patience, time, belief, practice, encouragement and empowerment. This means being able to slow down, stop, pause and be present in the NOW!

Good luck to the winner this week. I will be watching with interest for sure!

John Taylor