In Toledo, OH, back in the early 2000’s, it wasn’t uncommon to find myself down two or three strokes to the competition heading into the back nine. By 10:00am we would have already been playing for hours in tournament play. Most of the kids were much bigger and stronger, and were able to drive the ball 50-60 yards further off the tee. As a 4’10, 100lb sophomore in high school, it was much easier for the competition to reach the green in regulation.
For many golfers, no matter how talented, it’s extremely challenging to stay laser focused for four to five straight hours on the course. I knew that, and often watched many skilled golfers come out firing, then lose concentration by holes 11 and 12 and completely crumble. One bad shot could cause a golfer to have a terrible hole, which often led to frustration and a loss of composure. Once this happens on the golf course—game over. It’s a complete downward spiral and you might as well pack it in and head to the clubhouse.
I would watch this pattern regularly and recognized that in order to overcome my physical disadvantages, I would have to be mentally tougher than my competition, and much more strategic with my shots. I would keep the ball below the hole on approach shots, never miss on the short-side of the green, and would avoid water, sand traps and every penalty area possible by navigating the hole methodically. Never gambling with my shots, consistently playing it safe. From there, my short game had to be world-class, becoming nearly automatic with putts within five feet of the hole. I would watch my competition come out firing and gain an early lead, but by the third or fourth hour of play, I would win the round because of my mental stamina and game plan. This was my strategy. My system was the countless hours of practice to refine the skills necessary to execute the strategy.
All of us on the tour had the same goals. We all wanted college scholarships and wanted to play professionally. The results, however differed greatly. None of the student-athletes had a goal problem, they had a system problem. We don’t rise to the height of the goal, but instead fall to level of our systems. Goals are necessary for creating a sense of direction and clarity. However, goals alone are not sufficient. It’s more important to focus on the system implemented to reach the goal; which is a collection of habits, processes and behaviors that help you get there.
We set goals because we want better outcomes, but we should focus on the process and not on the end result. As leaders, if we are doing the right things that lead to the wins, then the wins will take care of themselves. If we just pursue success, we may not get there.

So, how exactly do we get there?
1. I have found that it’s important to identify the identity of what you want to become in the future, then focus daily on becoming that identity.
“I am a….(state your identity)”
In the example above, that identity for me was a professional golfer. I worked on creating the systems and habits necessary to become an elite golfer. When I perceived myself as that caliber of an athlete (if you view golfers as athletes), I lived out how I viewed myself.
Other types of identities may be as follows:
- Elevated Position/Title
- Professional or College Athlete
- Writer/Author
- Healthy
- Influencer
- MBA Student
- Financially Wealthy
2. Once the identity is established, you start to build a system of habits, processes and behaviors to become that identity. If you focus on building up to the identity, then the outcome will follow.
Again, using the example above – if I woke up every day and just said my GOAL is to become a professional golfer, that may sound great but what the heck am I doing on a regular basis to acquire the skillsets necessary to get there?
The system I built for golf was as follows:
- Lesson with PGA Pro 1x/month
- 18 holes daily with golfers equal in skill-set or better, tracking specific metrics such as greens in reg, total puts, fairways hit.
- 50 putts daily within 3-feet, 5-feet and 10-feet
- 50 shots daily from 60 yards, 80 yards, 100 yards
- Six meals daily – focused on building muscle and gaining weight
- Workout at Gym with hired strength-trainer 3x/week
- Study printouts weekly from previous lessons and reading specific golf-related articles to learn and educate on various elements of swing or mindset.
Use small habits as a way to prove to yourself that you are that kind of person. Your habits are how you embody the identity you are working towards. The overall goal is to look back at the body of evidence (all newly formed habits) and every action you take is essentially “casting a vote” towards the identity you want to become. Do this until you start to look at yourself in a new way. Once you regularly see yourself as that type of a person, it takes less effort and motivation to continue on.
Good Habit Strategies (4 Laws of Behavior Change) – James Clear
- Make it easy.
- Make it obvious.
- Make it attractive.
- Make it satisfying.
Breaking Habit Strategies (Invert the 4 Laws of Behavior Change)
- Make it invisible. (Don’t allow yourself access to what you want to eliminate)
- Make it unattractive. (Whatever made it appealing before, flip the script)
- Make it difficult. (As opposed to having the habit at your fingertips, make it challenging to obtain/secure)
- Make it unsatisfying.
Choose an identity that motivates you, cast a vote and track progress! Feel happy and satisfied in the moment while working towards the long-term goal.
3. Track progress. How are you evolving? Are you growing and getting better? Use data and feedback as a way to measure if the system and habits are putting you on the trajectory to reach your goal. If they are, stay the course (no pun intended). If they aren’t, note what is working and don’t deviate from those habits. If other habits/elements aren’t working – eliminate them and find other ways to adjust or pivot.
Evolution and growth take time. It’s a process. This system had to be carried out for years in order to becoming the caliber of golfer that could compete at the collegiate level. However, once you establish your daily regimen and build a system that equips you to reach the desired end state, it helps bring so much clarity as to what you can control to dictate the outcome. We always say “control what you can control” and “trust the process”, which I agree with. However, it’s important to define what those elements are so we can become hyper-focused on implementing the right habits and system that over time will help you develop into the person you want to become and achieve the end goal.
Habit: Behavior repeated so often that it becomes automatic. Despite how small they are, they set how we spend the time immediately after. Habits are the “entry point” for the next actions immediately after.
Keystone Habits: Small disciplines that trigger compounding good disciplines or bad disciplines.
People do not decide their futures. People decide their habits, and their habits decide their futures.
Habits set our trajectory even though they don’t feel like they are impactful.
40-50% of our daily activities are habitual. That means nearly half of our everyday processes are on autopilot.