Professional golfers frequently have to make the distinction between what they can control and what is out of their control. Many athletes share this belief, but one golfer in particular, Jon Rahm, has made it a key component of his strategy.
Spanish professional golfer Jon Rahm, who is well-known on the PGA Tour for his strong drives and calculated play, frequently talks about concentrating on his controllable aspects. He stresses that although players have no control over many aspects of golf, like the weather or the performance of their opponents, they do have complete control over their attitude and behavior during rounds.
Consider a golfer facing a difficult wind that is blowing across the fairway as they stand at the tee box. The golfer has no control over the wind's strength; it is an outside element that has an equal impact on every player. It is completely up to the golfer to decide how to modify their shot and approach to the hole, though. Maintaining mental toughness and performance consistency requires this differentiation between controllable and uncontrollable factors.
Rahm's philosophy embodies a more general life lesson: many aspects of our lives, like past experiences or other people's behavior, are beyond our control or ability to alter. However, the way we handle these situations and the actions we take to make improvements in areas that are within our reach can have a significant impact on our success and happiness.
Rahm's message is comparable to navigating a river with erratic currents in this sense; although you cannot change the direction of the water around you, you can control how your boat is steered. This viewpoint encourages people to concentrate on their strengths and actions that they can control rather than wasting energy on things that are beyond their control, not just in sports but in many other areas of life as well.