Hey Fellow Golfer - 

Thank you for reading this week’s More Pars Than Bogeys Newsletter. If you find it valuable, could you forward this email to a fellow golfer?

Thank you.

You can click here to read the online version of this week’s newsletter. 

And be sure to catch up on this week’s podcast episode:

• #95: [Inside the Mind] Karl Morris: Attention is the Currency of Performance (How to Pay Better Attention to Play Better Golf)

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about how mindset coaching and hypnotherapy can help you get unstuck from the proverbial bunker of poor performance on (and off) the course, click here to schedule a coaching discovery call with me. 

Every round of golf—and every day in business—shows you the truth: you don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your subconscious programming.

These toxic patterns of thinking, feeling, believing, and behaving - what I refer to as destructive mindset programs - aren’t random.

They’re learned.

They’re stored deep in your subconscious, and running automatically—just like software operating in the background. 

And until you dismantle them, they’ll keep sabotaging your golf game, your business growth, and your ability to feel peace in your own skin.

In today’s newsletter, you’ll learn:

• What destructive mindset programs really are, how they form, and why your subconscious creates them.

• Five of the most common destructive programs keeping golfers and entrepreneurs stuck—perfectionism, overworking, fear of success, fear of judgment, and fear of standing out.

• How each program shows up in your life, what it protects you from, and why it ultimately sabotages your growth.

• Why hypnosis is the fastest and most effective way to dismantle these destructive patterns and rewire your mind for confidence, calm, and freedom.

Let’s tee off!

What Are Destructive Mindset Programs?

Destructive mindset programs are automatic thought-feeling-behavior loops created by your subconscious. 

At one point, they served to protect you from pain—embarrassment, rejection, failure, or even success. 

But the subconscious doesn’t delete old files. What was once protective becomes destructive when it keeps running unchecked.

Think of them like a computer virus in your operating system. The virus didn’t start with bad intentions—maybe it was originally designed to guard you from certain risks. But left unchecked, it corrupts files, slows performance, and makes even simple tasks frustrating.

Or imagine weeds in your garden. They first sprout unnoticed, blending in with what’s growing around them. Over time, if ignored, they spread and choke out the healthy plants, robbing them of the sunlight, water, and nutrients needed to thrive.

Your subconscious drives 95% of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By age seven, most of your core beliefs about success, worthiness, love, failure, and achievement were installed—by parents, teachers, coaches, and peers. Its job is to keep you safe, not successful. 

That’s why these programs surface most when the stakes are high—on the first tee, in the boardroom, or when closing a career-defining deal.

Why and How They Form

Each destructive program forms around an emotionally-charged moment. Emotion is what ingrains the outcome and associated learnings deep into your subconscious. 

• Maybe a coach yelled at you after a mistake. 

• Maybe a teacher embarrassed you in front of classmates. 

• Maybe early praise was tied only to achievement.

As a result, your subconscious recorded the moment and created a rule: Never let this happen again.

That rule became a protective program. Over time, repetition and emotion made it automatic.

The irony? 

These programs meant to keep you safe now sabotage you. They rob you of confidence, presence, and freedom—the very states required for peak performance.

5 Common Destructive Mindset Programs

1. Perfectionism (Fear of Making a Mistake)

Golf Example: Standing over a wedge shot, you freeze. You want the strike to be perfect, so you steer the club instead of swinging freely. The result? A chunked shot and mounting frustration.

Entrepreneur Example: You delay launching a new service or product until it’s flawless. Months pass, and opportunities slip away.

When/Why It Formed: Early experiences where mistakes led to punishment or ridicule. You learned, “Mistakes mean I’m not good enough.”

What It Protects: Your subconscious thinks that if you’re perfect, you’ll avoid criticism, rejection, or failure. But in reality, it traps you in paralysis and prevents growth.

2. Always Have to Be Working

Golf Example: Even mid-round, your mind is racing with emails, deadlines, and deals. You rush shots, never fully present, robbing yourself of the calm required to perform.

Entrepreneur Example: Days blur together as you grind from dawn to dusk, convincing yourself rest is laziness. Family and health take a backseat.

When/Why It Formed: Praise and approval came when you achieved, not when you simply were. You were taught, “My value equals my productivity.”

What It Protects: The subconscious believes constant work ensures love, recognition, and safety. In reality, it drains you, leaving little energy for your game, your team, or your relationships.

If you’re serious about taking your game to the next level - on and off the course - click here to schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call to learn how I can help you plug your energy leaks and play to your potential.

3. Fear of Success

Golf Example: You start hot—two birdies in a row—and then implode with a triple bogey. It feels safer to stay “average” than to risk the pressure of playing great.

Entrepreneur Example: You self-sabotage big opportunities—delaying a pitch, undercharging, or holding back—because succeeding would raise expectations.

When/Why It Formed: Early wins may have been met with criticism (“Don’t get cocky”) or jealousy. Success became linked with rejection, pressure, or loss.

What It Protects: Your subconscious thinks holding yourself back prevents the overwhelm of higher expectations. But it keeps you capped at “almost there.”

4. Fear of Embarrassment and Judgment

Golf Example: On the first tee, all eyes are on you. Your swing collapses as fear of looking foolish takes over. You’d rather play it safe than risk ridicule.

Entrepreneur Example: You avoid speaking up in meetings or sharing bold ideas, fearing criticism. You play small to avoid standing out.

When/Why It Formed: A childhood mistake that drew laughter or rejection left a deep imprint: “If I look bad, I’ll be abandoned.”

What It Protects: The subconscious believes avoiding exposure shields you from humiliation. In reality, it robs you of growth, leadership, and confidence.

5. Fear of Standing Out (Shining Your Light)

Golf Example: In a tournament, you play defensively, avoiding aggressive lines—even when you know you can pull them off.

Entrepreneur Example: You downplay achievements, avoid media opportunities, and hide your brilliance for fear of being seen as arrogant.

When/Why It Formed: Celebrating wins was criticized as “bragging.” Standing out was met with jealousy or rejection.

What It Protects: Your subconscious believes dimming your light keeps you safe and accepted. But it also ensures you’ll never fully realize your potential.

Why Hypnosis Is the Fastest and Most Effective Solution

You can’t outthink subconscious programs. Affirmations, pep talks, and swing tips don’t stick because they only target the conscious mind.

Hypnosis goes directly to the root.

Hypnosis is not mind control, stage tricks, or “clucking like a chicken.” Hypnosis is a natural state of focused relaxation, the same state your brain enters when deeply absorbed in a book, driving on autopilot, or locked into “the zone” on the course.

When you’re in this state, not only do you quiet the harsh inner critic that has held you back and tap into a brain wave state that makes you incredibly receptive to learning, but you also connect directly with your subconscious mind, which is home to your memories, emotions, beliefs, and habits.

Hypnosis creates an opportunity to reframe and emotionally desensitize you to memories, update limiting and outdated beliefs, and dismantle toxic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. 

Click here to learn more about the science of hypnosis and how I use it to help my clients get unstuck and unlock their potential.

How It Works

Hypnosis capitalizes on the theta brain wave state I eluded to above, as well as the concept of neuroplasticity.

Theta Brain Waves: In hypnosis, your brain shifts into theta, the same frequency you lived in from ages 0–7, when your deepest beliefs were formed. In this state, you bypass the inner critic and directly rewire subconscious patterns.

Neuroplasticity: Repeatedly experiencing new beliefs and emotions in hypnosis strengthens new neural pathways, replacing old destructive programs with empowering ones.

That’s why hypnosis is the fastest, most effective way to dismantle outdated programs and install new ones rooted in confidence, calm, and freedom. It’s not just theory—golf legends and high-performing entrepreneurs alike have used hypnosis to perform under pressure, eliminate fear, and play to their potential.

If you’re serious about taking your game to the next level - on and off the course - click here to schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call to learn how I can help you plug your energy leaks and play to your potential.

Final Thought

Destructive mindset programs aren’t proof you’re broken—they’re proof your subconscious has been trying to protect you. But what once served you is now sabotaging you.

If you want to break 80, scale your business, or simply feel at peace in your own head, you must dismantle these destructive programs at the subconscious level.

That’s what hypnosis does.

If you’re ready to stop sabotaging yourself and start playing—and living—with freedom, confidence, and consistency, I invite you to schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call today.

Click here to take action and schedule that call now. 

Your Next Step

Every newsletter will conclude with a suggested action step and further resources on the topic we discussed.

After reading today’s newsletter, take an honest mental audit and outline which of the mentioned destructive mindset programs are presently holding you back. Get clear on what they’re protecting you from and where or when these programs began.

If you have any questions, feel free to DM me on Instagram (@thegolfhypnotherapist) or send me an email directly: [email protected]

Thank you for reading today’s newsletter.

If you found it valuable, share it with a fellow golfer ready to take their game to the next level.

Until next time,

Paul

P.S. What did you think of today’s newsletter? Reply back / drop a comment below to let me know.

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