"Hey Ken," I asked my friend, "do you use visioning when you play golf?"
"Yeah, I'll do it here on this hole. I want the ball to go up there on the green. I am
telling myself to focus on my swing, how my hands finish after I swing, to keep my head
down ... Darn! It didn't go exactly where I wanted it to go. This vision stuff doesn't work."
Would you agree that if Ken didn't have the intention to hit the ball to that green, he wouldn't
have gotten as close as he did to the hole? If his intention wasn't to get the ball on this
green, he might have hit the ball to a completely different green. He would be even more
disappointed in his performance. Can we say that intention significantly improved his chances
of getting his desired outcome? Perhaps; but how can you apply vision to activities that you
want to do well, like golf?
Golf requires a high level of skill. Simply having a vision doesn't mean that what you want
will magically appear. For example, if you have a vision of being a surgeon, you can't walk
into an operating room and expect to successfully perform open-heart surgery. Being a surgeon
or a golfer who can hit balls where you want takes skill. Vision can't create skill out of
thin air. However, if you have a vision of being a better golfer, you will be more aware
of opportunities that can improve your skill in hitting the golf ball where you want it to go.
Ken and I are weekend golfers. If we really wanted to hit the ball where we wanted, we could
take advantage of opportunities like lessons, better equipment, and practice. If we took action
on these opportunities, we would reach a higher level of skill that would move us toward our
vision of making great shots more often. However, this is not a priority for Ken and me. We
recognize that and pursue golf for pleasure, saving our efforts for more important visions.
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