“It wasn’t because I didn’t know enough, I just knew to much.”
-Gnarls Barkley
Golfers will often tell you that they play their worst when they have too many thoughts running through their mind. When you get over the ball and start thinking about all the little things you need to do to make it fly straight, it seems to paralyze you.
Your muscles get tense, your hands grip the club a little tighter. Your swing becomes jerky and unnatural and the ball doesn’t do anything like what you had envisioned.
The same thing happens in life. When we start thinking about getting every little detail right, instead of just freeing ourselves to any outcome, it doesn’t turn out all that well.
We get so wrapped up in our heads, trying to make things perfect that we never even get started. We think of all the ways something could go wrong and we build a mental roadblock before we even try.
We spend our time evaluating and overanalyzing, instead of just jumping in and learning on the fly. We think that we’ve got to get everything just right, or all of our efforts were for nothing.
Ironically though, the more we try to control the outcome, the less likely it is to happen. When we cling to our idea of the way we think it’s supposed to work we’re not allowing the room for the way it’s actually going to work, to show itself. When we let go of that idea, we create the space for that success to find its way in.
Sometimes, you have to relinquish control and turn it over to your subconscious. Sometimes, you have to clear your mind and trust that it’s all going to work itself out. Sometimes, you have to close your eyes and just swing that club.
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