Lessons

Eight things I try to live by.

None of these are original and none are clever. They are the ones that have held up, and I learned most of them the slow way.

The list
01

Do the boring thing first

Make the bed. Do the reps. Hit the club that is not the longest but leaves the easiest next shot. None of it is impressive and all of it works.

02

Reps beat talent

Talent sets the ceiling. Reps set the floor. You spend almost your whole life standing on the floor, so build the floor.

03

Take the small loss early

Punch out sideways. It feels like quitting and it is almost always right. Most disasters are the recovery attempt, not the original mistake.

04

Play the shot in front of you

The last one is already spent. The only thing still under your control is where you leave yourself next.

05

Hold the standard without the contempt

Being pushed hard by somebody who believes in you is a gift. Deliver the bar without making anybody feel small and people will run through walls with you.

06

Start before you are ready

A rough version you can actually look at teaches you more in a week than a plan does in a month.

07

Write it down while it is true

Memory quietly edits in your favour. Record what you thought at the time, not after you found out how it went.

08

You are the one you are competing with

There is no defender and nobody to blame. On a bad day I am my own worst enemy, and noticing that early is most of the job.

Mark Gabrielli wearing ear protection on an airboat
Not everything has to be serious.