How to Make Your Mark

Yesterday I had the chance to watch the Augusta Masters Championship with my wife and son. It was a very cold day outside and my wife and I decided to play scrabble while we watched the championship. Our 14-month old son was right in the mix as he ran around the room with his little Tykes golf kit. The final day of the championship was a roller-coaster. The lead changed a lot of times and several players were atop of the leaderboard with a chance of breaking away and winning it all. However, this was Zach Johnson’s day, an unlikely champion out of Iowa. For the first time in 51 years, the Masters was won by the highest-scoring margin. How did Zach Johnson win and what lessons can we learn from him?

Lessons from Augusta

1. Inch by Inch it’s a Cinch

Zach would not have won this tournament had he not played consistently right from the beginning. Every hole he played counted as he advanced towards the last hole of the championship. Every inch of the course had to be played. In order to win in life you must realize that there are no short-cuts to winning. Every little effort you put into the quest for success counts. Keep plugging away.

2. Play your own game

I was astounded when it came to the last two or three holes of the last round. Zach did not play aggressively. Instead of driving the ball down the fairway towards the green, he simply laid it up halfway down the green for his second shot. That was wisdom. You’ve got to play your own game. Don’t drive the ball down the fairway just because everyone else is doing that. The key to winning is to develop your own goals and timelines. This is your game, not someone else’s.

3. Don’t be intimidated

As Zach approached the 16th hole, a huge roar was heard from the 13th green. Tiger Woods had just spectacularly eagled the 13th hole and was beginning his attack. In past tournaments, many players have been intimidated by Tiger’s attacks and ended up blowing up their game. Zach did not. He stayed focused. If you are going to win, you must choose to stay focused on your personal path and realize that you have every chance at winning as the other players. Winning is not a birth-right for a select few. You have to continously believe in yourself, which leads me to:

4. Believe in your dreams

Zach had always believed that he could win the Masters. He has admitted to not having been the best player on his High School golf team but he believed in himself. Prior to his win, Zach had been cut so many other times from Major championships, but he continued believing in himself. You must believe in yourself and your abilities. It doesn’t matter what may have happened to you in the past. What matters is what you believe right now. You can do it. As Norman Vincent Peale used to say, “You can if you think you can”.

5. Give yourself the best chance

A lot of people sabotage themselves by not putting themselves in the best position to win. Zach, like everyone else, struggled in the front nine. But when he got to the back nine, he upped his game and scored 2-under. You have to up your game in the crucial moments of life. That’s how you give yourself the best chance to win.

Go for it! Keep working on your game. You can do it!