Tiger Woods - The ultimate in "focus"

“Forced focus thinking applies pressure to a group of people or a process to ensure a focused result. Not threatening or invasive pressure – but pressure that focuses the team on actionable outcomes.” EssenceCommunications.com

Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington put on quite a display of golf Sunday. Tiger kept the pressure on throughout the day, but Padraig, a feisty Irishman and the winner of two majors last year, refused to flinch. Each man exhibited extreme focus as they matched each other shot for shot. The tournament’s outcome turned on two shots. On the 16th hole, Tiger hit an incredible shot. With the hole 170 yards away, tucked in the upper right corner of the green which was guarded by a pond, Tiger hit a majestic 8 iron (yes golfers, an 8 iron) for his second shot. The ball hit and the backspin brought the ball to within two feet of the pin. Padraig’s second shot went over the pin and rolled into the deep greenside rough. With Tiger assured of a birdie, Padraig tried to do the impossible, and failed. His delicate flop shot out of the high grass came out hot and rolled over the green and into the water. The match ended there.

I don’t generally watch a lot of golf on television, but I found myself glued to the tube in sheer awe of their golfing skills. I was mesmerized by their ability to totally and completely focus on the task at hand. Could their unrelenting ability to focus regardless of surroundings be why they are the top two golfers in the world?

Anyone that has ever played golf knows that the ability to focus on a single goal is what creates a successful swing on a repetitive basis. Focused thinking removes distractions and mental clutter. Focused thinking allows us to concentrate on one issue to the exclusion of all other matters. John Maxwell in How Successful People Think points out that focused thinking:

1. Can bring energy and power to almost anything
2. Can give ideas time to develop
3. Can bring clarity to the target
4. Can take you to the next level in your plan development

I am continually looking for motivational materials. The great baseball player Satchel Paige’s famous quote “Don’t look back – they may be gaining on you” is never far from my frontal lobe. I make decisions based on the best information available. I craft a plan to achieve my goal from this information. Then I execute the plan. Not all of my plans succeed. Not all of my plans that succeed prove to be successful. In the end, however, I never look back and question my decision. More often than not my plans are successful. The successful execution of the plan depends on the commitment of my focus.

The better my focus, the fewer are my distractions. Fewer distractions mean a higher probability of success. I focus on the ultimate goal (reward). For Tiger and Padraig, the goal was the tournament title. In business, we set minor goals to achieve the greater goal. At each level, it is our ability to focus – to keep our eye on the ball – that determines our success or failure in achieving that goal.

Focused thinking is not for the clairvoyant. You don’t need to contact the “The Mentalist”. Focused thinking is a learned skill. It requires practice, practice and more practice. So go where Tiger and Padraig go after a round of golf – the practice range!

Steve Cook is managing shareholder of Cook & Associates, PLLC, a certified public accounting firm with offices located in San Antonio and San Marcos, Texas. C+A provides tax, assurance and business consulting services.