The First 30 Days of College: Swing-Thought for Success

Swing-thought 1:  To overcome the fear of new: Get up on time. Go to class on time.  Do your work on time.  Go to bed on time.

While hurricane Irene has done its damage this past week and moved on, the inner hurricane of first time college students entering their new world has just begun.  A hurricane it is.  Consider the freshman from the University of Central Florida who died after attending a freshman party just three days after arriving at school.  Don’t think there’s not a spiritual warfare over your life! 

 For many students, the dominating emotion that overtakes you is overwhelm—getting used to a new surroundings, having the freedom to make one’s own decisions, seeking emotional connection in new friends, and feeling the fear of new, which can influence you to do things outside the norm, or just freeze, not knowing what to do.  

In golf, when you feel the pressure of the unknown or fear to hit a shot that you’re not used to, what creates a successful execution is your pre-shot routine. It’s a very specific routine you do regardless of the outward pressure to set up your shot.  Part of my routine is:  select your target, find my intermediary target, grip the club, set your club square to your target line, set your feet square to your club, look at the target, relax….and hit the ball!  My pre-shot routine is simple, clear, repeatable, and effective.  Reliance on the routine is what equips you to hit the shot despite the pressure. 

When you are in overwhelm your first week of college, choose a pre-shot routine and commit to it everyday.  I suggest you make it real simple:  get up on time. Go to class on time. Do your work on time.  Go to bed on time.  One swing-thought for each time-frame of your day:  morning, afternoon, evening, and bedtime. Believe me, you will be off to a good start and will be ahead of the game.  Creating this simple mental structure will eliminate your immediate feeling of overwhelm.

If it works for golf, it will work for you!

Veronica Karaman is the founder of True Champion Coaching and is available for academic coaching.

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