You've just started a new course, a new golf season is beginning, and we're all full of enthusiasm, with great intentions and high motivation. Unfortunately, all that enthusiasm and those good intentions often fade away, sometimes simply due to the passage of time, as those intentions haven't become true achievable goals, and other times when the first difficulties arise, because that motivation, which initially seemed so high, turns out to be rather scarce.

Another possible cause of declining motivation is when it is very high but poorly directed, meaning that the motive driving us to action is not the most appropriate.

Feeling committed
The first step to staying motivated throughout the season is to transform good intentions, even a dream or something you're excited about achieving, into a goal. Once you have a goal, the most important thing is to commit to achieving it. When an athlete is committed to their goal, they do everything in their power to achieve it, they don't back down from the obstacles and difficulties they're sure to encounter along the way, and the desire to achieve that goal more than compensates for the effort they must put in on the journey. The drive for self-improvement and the feelings of satisfaction with each step they take are the driving force behind committed athletes.

Initially, any goal you feel committed to will be valid. However, it's very important that the goal meets certain criteria, which are specified in the attached table. Don't let the season pass without pursuing your goals, your dreams, and your aspirations. The most important thing is to commit.

SUPPORT OR PICTURE
Characteristics of the objectives:

– They must be defined in a positive way. For example: the objective of “not making three putts” must be modified to “making a maximum of two putts per hole” so that it expresses what you want to achieve and not what you want to avoid.
– Difficult, but realistic. They should present a continuous challenge, neither too easy to achieve nor too difficult.
– Be as specific as possible about your goal. It's not enough to say "improve the swing". Identify which part or parts of the swing you want to improve.
– Set specific dates for achieving the objectives, even if you have to review them later to bring them forward or postpone them.
– Define the objectives in such a way that you can know exactly whether you have achieved the objective or not.

By Óscar del Río
Sports psychologist specializing in golf