So putting aside the possibility that I have a slight man crush on Tiger Woods, he is in my opinion in the top three examples of the “ultimate athlete”. Some might argue about a golfer being termed an athlete, but I don’t in his case. In fact, I think that his athleticism and “sport ethic” is THE THING that sets him apart from his competitors (I say “sport ethic” as a substitute for “work ethic”). I personally feel that golf is the single most difficult sport to dominate, because of the format of competition and also because of the heavy reliance on the “mental side” that golf requires on each and every shot. And yet, Tiger has dominated the sport in ways that almost seem like the results of typos, not actual game play. Anyway, I am fascinated with the way Tiger Woods does what he does, and yes, I think how he does it relates to my own goals.

One thing that strikes me about most of what you hear about Tiger is the absolute focus he brings to everything he does. Apparently, he became an accomplished black diamond skier in a ridiculously short time (if you haven’t ever skied, trust me, it’s impressive) and tackles pretty much anything he does with undeviating energy. A recent post from Businesspundit (a blog well worth visiting, Rob is razor sharp in dissecting true value from true fluff) shares an anectdote about seeing Tiger on the practice range. Needless to say, he was practicing in a way that most don’t, certainly not the way I do. He spent at least four hours hitting with just one club … a 7-iron. I think that speaks to his focus and ability to seek improvement where others would say “good enough”. I think the results he has achieved also speak to his ability to focus on the right things for his desired accomplishments. My guess is that there are a number of other professional golfers that spend just as much time as Tiger does on their game (if not more), but he dominates them why? Talent? Sure. But that only gets you so far and is often a barrier to true success (think Maurice Clarett and Ohio State) even in “talent driven” pursuits. I think the “something more” is his ability to see what activities hold the greatest potential benefit for HIM.

My goals are not the same as Tiger’s, which is why I won’t be spending 4 hours+ on a practice range with my entire bag, let alone one club, but I believe the lesson is in the commitment to “getting it right”. The key is the mindset of constant and consistent improvement, whether that is for the perfect 7-iron shot, or the ideally balanced day of family and work time. The ability to not “settle” and continue to pursue my unique (just as everybody’s own is to them) concept of perfection is critical to my happiness and ability to live on terms I am comfortable with and even excited about. The secret is not in the doing, but in the “doing right things right”.