By Roger Knick, Golf Performance Center
Being great at something is a level few people ever reach. It is almost undefinable, but we all know it’s out there! You hear this all the time, she was the greatest, he is the GOAT! Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Annika Sorenstam, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Serena Williams or Frances Hesselbein, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs or Elon Musk are arguably the greatest at what they do of all time but what makes them great?
Great- “of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above the normal or average”.
What is the difference between good and great? Athletes and businesses all the time say they are grinding to be great, or are pursuing greatness. Is there a road map to greatness? If you listen to the millions of sound bites from interviews of the greats mentioned above, you will hear some of what it takes. Having spent thousands of hours around athletes and reading hundreds of stories of the great athletes and businesspeople, it is clear they all have their method/s and it is also clear that none of them were born with their greatness. It is also clear there is a common ground. Of all the “greats”, for the few who get this title, it is without question they all start with desire, the passion to pursue a goal or dream, beyond the words, it is an all-out effort regardless of short-term outcomes, clarity of their pursuit to be better tomorrow than today. Greatness relies on having the right coaches or mentors to be in your life to learn and discover ways and ideas to improve skills. Hearing the great athletes none of their performances could be possible if they weren’t physically able to perform at their humanly best. It is clear that greatness requires the mental skills to withstand the constant barrage of failure or defeats along the way or the toughness to overcome the adversities, the growth mindset that comes from each challenge. Without a doubt the greats all have the equipment needed to reach their highest levels of achievement. As I write this it is hard not to reflect and say, wow, this sounds like our cornerstone philosophy, 5 Elements of Success. Wait, am I saying by following the 5 Elements of Success this leads to greatness? No??
It is one thing to incorporate the 5 Elements of Success into your daily life, it is another to relentlessly pursue one’s goal or dreams. Yes, success requires each of the elements but being great is a level of commitment few are willing to do, to endure the pain or passion it takes to be great. I have seen a lot of good athletes who proclaim to want to be great, but their actions did not support their words. To be above normal or average, you must do above average work. Unfortunately for many junior golfers we see come into The Golf Performance Center or talk to at events with the goal of being a top Division I recruit, to be a PGA/LPGA Tour player, or to be the #1 player in the world, they have an unrealistic viewpoint of what it takes. This is mainly because of “society”. Parents make it clear that golf is a mere means to an end to grab a college scholarship. This approach is hardly effective in obtaining either golf goal.
The world is a big place, it is competitive, if you want to think big as in being the greatest or to be a top recruit you must do considerably more work than the average, you must go all-in on yourself, the environment in which you are in has an impact on your ability to achieve your greatness, find a place like The Golf Performance Center that can help you look in the mirror, to help find all the blemishes, build a plan, and execute on your plan daily with the highest level of intensity and focus you can.
Your greatness is waiting for you to show up!
Enjoy your Journey!
Roger Knick, Golf Performance Center
