MEMORIES MADE, LESSONS LEARNED
BY SKYLAR JEWELL
IJGA DIRECTOR OF MENTAL PERFORMANCE / CHARACTER MENTOR
Wow! Where has the spring season gone? Seems to fly by
when learning and having fun. Before you know it, we will
be well into the summer with only memories left of the
semester that has passed.
What memories will you have made? What lessons have
you learned? Time will be the ultimate storyteller, so what
role are you going to play? For many amateurs being
lessons learned allows for a clear plan and even motivation.
Take Rory McIlroy for example, in the 2011 Masters he held
the lead at (-11) before melting on the back nine to shoot
8 over on the final day and finish at (-4). Following this
he took an interview and instead of berating his game he
took ownership, acknowledging the pain of not having
achieved his goal, but said there are many lessons to learn
in the coming days as he takes his time to reflect. Later
that year he won the US Open by 8 Strokes! Crediting his
Master’s experience as a learning moment that gave him
the confidence that he knew he could be a major champion.
This has happened with numerous golfers and happens
more often to those who adapt and learn faster.
You will always have two choices in golf, to learn or to
remain the same. You will also always have the opportunity
to count yourself in or count yourself out. Which do you do
more of personally?
Embracing disappointment is a true reflection of motivation
and learning. We are here to help and guide you, please
reach out if you think this is an area you could be better in
or for anything else you may need.
disappointed means being upset. For the best it means an
opportunity and even motivation.
Disappointment, though it does not feel great, provides
all the valuable lessons needed to improve for the next
attempt. When you see someone deal with disappointment
by being frustrated and artificially feeling better, often
this approach doesn’t lead to learning. On the other hand
being honest to the moment, and identifying the critical
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Congratulations to all those who have committed to
learning and had a successful last few months, it is never
too late to begin making progress. Keep taking committed
actions, learning, and let’s finish the summer strong!
All my best,
-Skylar Jewell