Golf Flow

they are fully immersed and engaged at work. When they are home with the family, they are present and fully involved in their family lives. When they are on the golf course, they are deeply attentive to, and immersed in, that particular round of golf. The same is true for most activities in their lives. They are seldom distracted with thoughts from the present or the past, and they seldom concern themselves with the what-ifs of life. Those who can concentrate and find the sweet spot of their minds across various domains are said to possess autotelic personalities. This ability to become deeply immersed in the totality of an experience on that fine line where challenge meets skill is the hallmark of people who get into flow.

Polishing Your Skills
    I began this chapter by suggesting that generating flow requires us to make regular investments of time and effort into ourselves. People frequently ask me how they can actualize this process. How do we make investments in ourselves? The answer, as it usually is with the pursuit of excellence, is simple: with consistent, thoughtful, deliberate practice.
    I help my golfers hone their mental and physical skills by engaging in this type of practice. We work to develop calm, focused minds, and we actively strive to be our best selves in word and deed, in the same way that Buddhists, Christians, and people of all beliefs do. I don’t simply remind my clients to be grateful. Rather, we actively practice gratitude through words and deeds. My golfers regularly list things that they are thankful for. During interviews, they use positive words of gratitude and enthusiasm. They react to bad shots with curiosity and to difficult situations with excitement rather than discouragement. On the driving range, whether at a tournament or at home, we stagger our practice sessions, do our drills with discipline and enthusiasm, and practice in rhythm. We are detail oriented as we practice our routines, we accept our shots, and we cultivate the habit of physical and mental freedom.
    In addition, my golfers generally wake up early, eat healthy, read and study, and immerse themselves in the process of continual growth. If you ever go to a PGA Tour event, you can spot my golfers from across the fairway. They are usually the ones who walk with energy and enthusiasm, who smile and take time for fans, and who fully commit to every shot. These are not merely the thoughts of exceptional achievement. These are the behavioral habits of those who would achieve excellence.
    By performing these actions on a daily basis, my golfers prepare themselves to default into flow when they are on the golf course. I believe that this is the main reason that they’ve been able to achieve more than 45 wins in the past 10 years.

Setting the Stage for Flow
    You can take a few lessons from this chapter that can be helpful for finding flow.
    First, because so many cognitive, physical, and situational features need to come together to get into flow, we have only a measure of control over when and how frequently we get into flow, on and off the course.
    Second, because we have that measure of control we have some influence over our flow states, and we can increase the probability and frequency of flow by applying that influence. The primary way that we can influence getting into flow is by taking control of our attitude regarding the idea of challenge. I am not suggesting that everyone needs to thrive on challenge with the same extreme intensity of professional athletes and autotelic personalities, but a fundamental shift in perspective to engage and enjoy challenges is certainly helpful for those who want to increase their probability of getting into flow. This quest for and love of challenge should permeate their personal, professional, and recreational lives. By inviting challenges as pathways to growth, people are also inviting a good deal of mental stimulation. They have opportunities to read their reactions in competitive situations, to practice patience and composure, and to process information more deeply, including information that is relevant to playing great golf.
    Third, the level of challenge that we encounter in life is under our control. If you buy into the C–S rule, then you can begin to take charge of establishing the goals that you have for various areas of your life. By setting short-term, challenging, achievable goals for a variety of areas of life, you are focusing on your interests and developing the