Competition

I’ve talked some about my passion for golf on this blog, but I haven’t really talked about one of my other passions: disc golf. Though they share a name and some similar rules/terminology, these are actually two pretty different sports. They are equally fun and frustrating at the same time, though.

I’ve been playing regular golf my whole life. Disc golf is a more recent obsession I’ve taken up in the past few years. It’s more affordable to play, there’s a quicker learning curve and it provides a great form of exercise—not to mention the camaraderie of playing with friends and the relaxation of spending quality time outdoors. There is a huge disc golf culture that most people aren’t even aware of, which means there are a lot of competitive events.

Between weekly clubs at different local courses, monthly tournaments and bigger annual tournaments, you can probably play some competitive form of disc golf just about 365 days a year here in Southern California. This year, I have been playing in more big tournaments. I still participate in the lower “recreational” or “intermediate” amateur divisions, but it is good experience.

I used to get frustrated and angry when I didn’t play well, especially in competitive settings. This year, though, I’ve really been working on my attitude while out on the course. I have to remind myself I’m not playing for the world championship, and at its core, disc golf is meant to be a fun sport. I don’t need to take myself too seriously or beat myself up when I make mistakes.

As I’ve adopted a more positive attitude. A lot of this comes from playing in my local weekly league out here in Palm Desert. It’s a really fun group of people and everyone encourages one another to play well. I’ve been able to apply some of this positive energy when I play in bigger tournaments. Though I have yet to win anything significant, I see the progress happening as I finish higher and higher in each event.

Having the right attitude is part of disc golf, as it should be for any sport or activity you participate in. I’ve been working personally on having a better attitude with my business and that has enabled me to keep it growing throughout the year. I still have plenty of growth ahead of me, but it’s important to recognize progress and keep focusing on the positive.

I share my little disc golf story to hopefully encourage anyone reading this blog to stay positive. This is a mindset that will benefit you in life and in business. As a small business owner, it’s easy to get down, frustrated, panicked, etc. and be swallowed up by the negative energy. It also helps to surround yourself with positive people.

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