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- The Dangerous Cost of Delaying Action
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:
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.
You know the solution is a good fit.
You’ve read the article, listened to the podcast, or watched the video and felt that internal nudge - this is exactly what I need.
Whether it’s hiring a coach, committing to a new routine, or starting something that feels long overdue, there’s a part of you that knows this is the right next step to get better - not just in your golf game, but in how you think, feel, and operate on - and off - the course.
But you wait…
You tell yourself it’s not the right time.
You tell yourself it’s too much money.
You tell yourself it might not work.
You need to think about it…
You want to feel more ready, confident, and certain before taking action.
Days pass.
That moment of clarity fades.
Doubt creeps in.
You slowly talk yourself out of it.
This pattern doesn’t just show up on Instagram or in your inbox. It shows up every time you chunk a wedge and tell yourself you’ll work on your short game “tomorrow.”
Every time you blow up on a par five and swear you’ll figure out your mindset “once the season slows down.”
Deep down, you know what you need to do. But fear convinces you that comfort today is safer than change tomorrow.
One of the most costly patterns golfers fall into when trying to improve their game is knowing exactly what needs to be done next and choosing to delay action.
In this newsletter, you’ll learn why you instinctively delay taking action on the very things you know you need most, the hidden costs of inaction and the compounding damage it causes to your confidence, clarity, and progress, and powerful reflection questions that expose the real reasons behind your hesitation - so you can move forward with clarity and courage.
If you’re tired of circling the same issues in your golf game and life and are ready to break free from the cycle of delay, keep reading.
Let’s tee off!
Why You Delay Taking Action (Even When You Know It’s the Right Move)
To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.
Delaying action isn’t laziness.
It isn’t a lack of information. And it sure as hell isn’t because you don’t care.
It’s protection.
There’s a part of your mind whose only job is to keep you safe - and to that part of your brain, familiar equals safe, even if the familiar is filled with frustration, inconsistency, and underperformance.
Your subconscious is hardwired to keep you in the familiar. So when you identify something that would force you to grow - mentally, emotionally, spiritually - your brain throws up warning signs:
“What if I invest and don’t improve?”
“What if this exposes me as not good enough?”
“What if I actually commit and still fail?”
But in reality, those thoughts aren’t logical - they’re protective. They’re rooted in fear.
It’s not always loud or obvious. Sometimes, it disguises itself as logic and practicality.
You’ll hear thoughts like:
“Let me play a few more rounds first.”
“I want to think this through a bit more.”
“I’ll come back to this next week when I’m less busy.”
These thoughts don’t mean you’re weak.
They mean you’re human.
Because the moment you take action toward real improvement, you also open yourself up to vulnerability, failure, and the unknown. That’s uncomfortable - even if it’s exactly what you need.
But the more you listen to them, the more you reinforce the very identity you’re trying to outgrow: the golfer who talks a big game but never actually changes it.
One of the most costly patterns golfers fall into when trying to improve their game is knowing exactly what needs to be done next and choosing to delay action.
Every time you delay taking action, you invite doubt, uncertainty, and inertia into your game.
Read that again.
When you delay taking action, you create space for fear to grow and self-doubt to take root. The longer you wait, the more uncertainty builds and the easier it becomes to talk yourself out of doing what you know is right.
You stay stuck in the same patterns of overthinking, frustration, and inconsistency.
You convince yourself that you’re making progress simply by thinking about making progress.
But you’re not. You’re just practicing avoidance.
And the longer you wait, the harder it gets to move. Doubt grows. Confidence fades. Eventually, you settle into a story that says:
“Maybe I’m just not cut out to break 80.”
“Maybe I don’t have the time to get better.”
“Maybe this is as good as it gets.”
Eventually, the clarity you had is replaced by confusion.
The momentum you felt is replaced by mental fatigue.
You slowly convince yourself it wasn’t a good fit after all, not realizing it’s the delay, not the decision, that’s causing all the discomfort.
Every time you hesitate, you chip away at your self-trust. And without self-trust, confidence struggles to grow, both on and off the course.
Let me be clear: you don’t lack the ability to improve. You lack the decision to commit.
Click here to download a guided hypnosis specifically crafted to help you overcome the aspect of your game most consistently holding you back from playing to your potential.
Are You Interested, or Are You Committed?
Here’s where most golfers get it wrong: they confuse interest with commitment.
You’re interested in breaking 80. Interested in being more consistent under pressure. Interested in having more confidence on the course.
But interest doesn’t create change.
Commitment does.
When you’re interested, you read, research, and reflect. You consume more information and tell yourself that you’re "working on it."
But when you’re committed? You act.
You put your money where your mouth is. You carve out time, even when it’s inconvenient. You show up when it’s hard. You stay the course, even when results aren’t instant.
There’s a reason you haven’t made meaningful progress with your mental game yet: Because interest is passive.
Commitment, on the other hand, is a full-body, full-heart experience. It’s a decision to move forward in the presence of fear, discomfort, and uncertainty.
When you’re committed, you:
Do the work even when it’s inconvenient.
Don’t allow emotions to dictate effort.
Make sacrifices to prioritize the goal.
Adapt instead of quit when things get hard.
Eliminate distractions that don’t serve your mission.
If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s worth asking: are you interested in getting better, or are you committed to it?
Because you can’t be committed to everything.
You only have so much energy, so much focus, so much time.
High-performers protect those resources with ruthless intentions.
They don’t dabble in five different pursuits. They choose their lane and they go all in.
Common Stories Used to Justify Inaction
Some of the most convincing lies are the ones wrapped in logic.
You might hear yourself saying:
"I’ll wait until I’ve practiced more."
"It’s not the right time with everything going on at work."
"I want to get more consistent with my swing before I invest in the mental game."
But what if that mental game is the reason you’re not consistent?
What if waiting is the very thing keeping you from the breakthrough you’ve been chasing for years?
The truth is that growth never feels convenient.
It always costs something - time, energy, money. But the longer you put it off, the more expensive it becomes.
The “I Can’t Afford It” Illusion
One of the most common excuses I hear is, “I just can’t afford it right now.”
But let’s talk about cost.
How much have you spent on new clubs, lessons, gear, memberships, and training aids over the past year?
How much time have you spent practicing, watching swing videos, or reading mental game books that didn’t translate to real, lasting change?
Now, compare that to what you’ve spent on truly upgrading your mindset, healing the root causes of your self-doubt, and building the emotional tools that lead to consistent performance.
When you invest in mindset coaching and hypnosis for golf, you’re not buying a quick fix.
You’re investing in:
Greater confidence, clarity, and consistency on the course
A calmer, more present mind under pressure
Tools you’ll use in your business, relationships, and everyday life
This isn’t an expense.
It’s an investment.
It’s a catalyst.
The ROI of inner work is exponential. It compounds. And it touches every part of your life.
Read that again.
You don’t need another swing tip.
You need a shift in how you think, feel, and act under pressure.
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 make playing to your potential a habit.
Questions to Help You Move Through Resistance
The next time you find yourself hesitating on a decision you know is aligned with your growth, pause and ask yourself the following:
Am I genuinely not ready, or am I just uncomfortable?
What exactly am I afraid might happen if I take this next step?
What is it costing me to stay where I am?
How long have I been saying “soon” or “later” when I know I need to act now?
If I looked back a month from now, would I regret not acting today?
If I were advising my best friend in the same position, what would I tell him?
These questions are designed to cut through the protective noise of your mind and help you access the truth that already lives inside you.
Final Thoughts
There is no “perfect” time to take action on something meaningful.
Waiting for the stars to align, the schedule to clear, or the fear to vanish will leave you stuck in the same place - feeling frustrated, unfulfilled, and uncertain about how to move forward.
The sooner you take aligned, courageous action - even if it feels a little scary or uncomfortable - the sooner you regain control of your progress.
Whether on the course or in life, those who improve the fastest aren’t the ones who wait until they feel perfectly ready - they’re the ones who move when their intuition nudges them, even if they still feel nervous or uncertain.
If there’s a decision, a conversation, or a commitment you’ve been avoiding…
Take the first step today.
Success loves speed.
Your future self - the one with more confidence, clarity, and consistency - will thank you for it.
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 make playing to your potential a habit.
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 action on the setp you’ve been delaying. Period.
If you have any questions, feel free to DM me on Instagram (@thegolfhypnotherapist) or send me an email directly: [email protected]
After reading today’s newsletter, I want you to take the time to complete each step in my goal-setting process. Then, share it with me via email or on social media.
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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