We Would Have Taken This on Monday Morning
A week ago today, Rory McIlroy won the Masters and completed a career Grand Slam. If you're a golf fan or follow sports at all, you've likely seen the footage of the missed putt on 18, the subsequent playoff hole, and the post-match interview. After winning, McIlroy was as emotional as I've ever seen a golfer, clearly overwhelmed by the moment. He had tried to win the Masters 16 times before coming through this year. He had been chasing the career Grand Slam for over a decade. All the emotion came pouring out of him once he clinched both.
In an interview after the tournament, one of the first comments he made was about the narrative surrounding his pursuit of this title. "I don't know what we're going to talk about leading up to next year's Masters." That was telling. It gave a glimpse into McIlroy's mindset, and just how much this weighed on him. He was chasing it. He knew everyone was watching him chase it. Knowing that, I couldn't help but think: had he not been able to come through in the playoff and win--after being that close--I'm not sure he would have been able to recover from it.
We'll never know. He was able to bounce back like a true champion.
In that same interview, McIlroy shared another brilliant insight into the importance of perspective and mindset in elite performers. Clearly deflated and frustrated, with body language just oozing exasperation, he slumped into the golf cart with his caddie, Harry Diamond. They started the drive back to the 18th hole--the very hole where he just missed the clinching putt--where he would tee off in the sudden-death playoff hole vs. Justin Rose.
Trying to reset his golfer's focus, Diamond said, "Well pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning."
Meaning: yeah, missing that putt on 18 sucked. Would've been nice to clinch in regulation. But you and I both would have given our right arm before this tournament started to have the opportunity to play in a sudden-death playoff to win the Masters.
Immediate perspective shift.
The focus was no longer on regret for what didn't happen, but gratitude for what could.
After missing a makeable putt on the final hole of regulation, it would be easy to enter the playoff from a place of fear. To ruminate on the circumstances that got him there (I choked!) rather than embracing the opportunity he had in front of him. Instead, with ten simple words, Diamond was able to help McIlroy shift his mindset from disappointment and playing not to lose to gratitude and playing to win. The rest, as they say, is history.
Great athletes are able to stay in the moment and focus on present execution, knowing what happened in the past--whether that was 10 years ago or 10 seconds ago--has little to no bearing on what they're doing right now. But this was more than that. This was understanding, embracing, and appreciating that everything McIlroy did to prepare for the Masters actually worked. It may not have felt like it when he missed that putt on 18, but with Diamond's simple Jedi mind trick he was able to help Rory see the forest through the trees. Just days earlier, he would have signed in blood to have a sudden-death shot at a Masters championship. And that's exactly what he had in front of him. How he got there didn't matter. But what he did with the opportunity meant everything.
This stuck with me, and is something I will try to carry each day, especially the bad ones. We always want more. We want to do better. We want to strive for perfection. But on this Easter Sunday, remember: none of us are perfect.
Did I have a bad day, week, or month? Maybe. But if you asked me 20 years ago if I'd be happy with a beautiful wife, three great kids, good friends, a career that challenges me, and spending time by the ocean?
Damn straight. I would have taken this on Monday morning.
The NOW Podcast
Episode 23: Johnny Glenn
Johnny Glenn was a Green Beret at 20 years old. He ultimately served our country for over 20 years, including over a dozen combat deployments. Next month, he and a team of 11 other veterans will establish a world record for carrying a single American flag from San Diego to Washington, DC as part of the Old Glory Ultra Relay.
- The Elite Compete. Running. Shooting. Eating? Doesn't matter. Competitors compete, and the elite ones compete against themselves before anyone else. Be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday. Then wake up tomorrow and do it again.
- "Johnny Glenn Taking that Shot." Whether it's Kobe Bryant with the game on the line or a sniper with lives on the line, shooters shoot. And prepare. If you want to be the one to take the shot with everything on the line, you need to train taking the shot with everything on the line.
- Iron Sharpens Iron. Johnny was a natural athlete as a kid. Things came easy to him. That natural talent played a significant role in becoming a Green Beret at such a young age. Johnny leaned on his innate ability and in certain areas didn't have to work as hard as other people to perform at a high level. But as he climbed the ladder, he realized that his counterparts were smarter, stronger, faster, and better shots the higher he rose. Was this humbling? Johnny didn't see it like that. He instead viewed it as a challenge. He wanted to maintain that same edge over his counterparts; he just needed to work a little harder to do that now. Johnny admitted to me that when he started out, he didn't even know what a Green Beret was. He certainly figured it out along the way, but sometimes just being willing to compete is enough. Find yourself a group that makes you compete against yourself.
You can click here to subscribe and listen to past and future episodes of the podcast. Be sure to check out Episode 24 when it drops this week, featuring former Gold Glove outfielder and current MLB broadcaster Jeff Francouer. A must listen for all parents, athletes, and baseball fans.
Have a great Sunday, and remember: you would have taken this last Monday.
With gratitude,
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