The past is past

To use one of the psychological tools of golfing superstar Tiger Woods as a metaphor, Tiger employs one of those effective tactics that I think have broad application beyond the game of golf.

He calls it his “10-foot rule.”

While Tiger is immensely talented, he is also known for having a fiery temper that has been captured in full colour on television more than once.

An interesting fact about being a human being is that we have 4769 human attributes such as anger, happiness, discontent, agitation, etc., and we are all of them.

Irrespective of you maybe thinking, for example, you’re always kind, never cruel, always loving, never hateful, always positive, never sad - if you are human, you have the attributes on both sides.

Now, the fascinating thing about Tiger is fundamentally he understood this, and integrated his outbursts with his 10-foot rule.

He decided that he didn’t want to take his emotion and passion out of the game, and this is a very poignant decision. He knew though, that he needed to learn to manage those emotions to keep them from sabotaging his round.

Hence, the 10-foot rule.

Whenever he hits a bad shot, he allows himself 10 feet to express his anger and frustration. As soon as he walks outside of that 10-foot circle, he drops his anger and focuses on the next shot.

That 10-foot circle is his trigger to decrease the negative and focus on the positive ahead of him, and focus on what is important now.

Think about all of the ways his 10-foot rule can apply in life.

I know that many of my clients at JMT Mind Gym improve if they leave their last duffed shot in that 10-foot circle metaphorically.

Other versions might be a 10-second rule or the 10-minute rule. Imagine applying it to all of the negative emotions that plague us daily.

The application of Tiger’s technique is endless. Remember, success leaves clues, and this man is a monumental success in golf.

So begin small.

What’s one negative emotion or thought-pattern you are hoping to conquer? Consider how you might apply the 10-foot rule, and give it a try.