My mind has been working on a problem for the last month or so as I’ve contemplated and debated my feelings regarding Scottie Scheffler’s recent comments before the Open Championship in Ireland.
His words resonate so deeply with me and at the same time run contrary to what I feel like my “default mode” has been regarding what it takes to find success for most (if not all) of my life.
What do I hear in his answer to the question asked … Beware putting too much weight on the wrong type of success because it doesn’t last and it’s not worth it.
What do I feel … A little bit of panic that this idea is counter-evidence of what I feel programmed to believe … that success is only captured through obsessive effort.
Of course, the other part of the truth is that Scottie is clearly obsessive in his effort! There are many stories of his diligent practice routines and clear, focused effort.
Another interesting aspect to Scheffler’s thoughts is that I feel like they are being taken so many different ways. Just this morning I was listening to a podcast break it down where the 3 hosts all felt that Scottie was saying something fundamentally different from what their fellow hosts heard.
Which means I’m almost certainly not getting it right either.
So it’s a lens. And a lens I apparently need right now.
And I think I need it because I’m trying to build something and it’s taking a lot of my time. But I don’t want to lose touch with what is more (and most) important.
Here’s another important piece of context that frames up what feels most important for me right now:
Scottie seemed to be saying that while winning is awesome for about 2 minutes, it doesn’t last and genuinely doesn’t fulfill him … FIVE DAYS BEFORE HE WON HIS FOURTH MAJOR AT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOURNAMENTS OF THE YEAR.
That feels like such a massive disconnect for me because … How can you be saying it doesn’t matter (I know that’s not exactly what he’s saying, but it also feels like he kinda is) as you then go and step on the necks of the best players on the planet?
Here’s one interpretation that I like and am going to try and figure out how to implement …
It feels like maybe this is a view into Scottie’s actual superpower (other than having a perfectly, unperfect swing) … the ability to “turn it on” and then completely “turn it off” at will.
This runs counter to so many other “greats” who are famous for not being able to “turn it off” in ways that ended marriages, friendships, business opportunities, …
For most of my career I developed software and having an obsessive mindset has been really helpful in that I could throw myself into a project working 14 hour days and weeks at a time without stopping until I got it done. But even during those times I was aware that I wasn’t very present for my wife and kids. So, helpful in one way but really not in the most important ways.
So, I’m going to be exploring ways to “turn it on” with the idea that I also need to understand the mechanism of “turning it off” so I can live the life I actually want with the people that matter most.
If you’d like to weigh in, I’d prefer you do it here on LinkedIn.