One oppressively muggy summer afternoon, when I was six, I was dropped off by a friend’s parents at my grandparents’ house. Unbeknownst to these well-meaning adults, my grandparents had forgotten I was to be their responsibility that afternoon and they were not at home. It became immediately apparent to me that I was now alone, locked out of their house, and completely petrified. Since this was way before the advent of cellphones, I did what any wise six-year-old would do—lost my tiny mind and started screaming “HELP!” Getting lost—or even feeling lost—can be a miserable experience. It’s lonely, confusing, and scary.
But, is getting lost always a bad thing? I’d argue that, when it comes to performance, getting lost in the process is not terrifying, it’s downright delightful. Have you ever been so present, so deeply engaged in your performance that all of the other distractions (i.e., the results, what others think, even what you think) all fade to black? Whereas focusing on the results often leads to distraction, anxiety, frustration, and poorer performance, getting lost in the process can lead to a flow state—where effort feels effortless.
Put most simply, the process is what you CAN control. It is your practice, your pre-shot routine, remaining in the present moment, and what you choose to focus on. So, maybe getting lost isn’t always something to avoid, but rather something to aim for—as long as you are getting lost in the right things, those things that bring you joy or lead to desired growth. So, get lost in the present moment, in your breath, in your process. Who knows, if you get lost in the process, those results you’ve been chasing might just find you.