The Power Of Positive Thinking

Last night I watched one of my favorite shows, The Turn, that I tivoed from The Golf Channel. Like usual, there were plenty of tips and instruction for those trying to improve their game. I especially enjoyed a brief segment on Colin Montgomerie and how he approaches the mental aspect of golf.

In essence, Colin said there are about a dozen thoughts everyone must go through before they hit any golf shot. The important thing, in his view, is to make sure to maintain only positive thoughts before taking a swing.

For example, before he hits a drive, he's thinking about the wind, where he should aim, the target line, they type of shot he wants to hit, etc. but negative thoughts about where he doesn't want the ball to go (don't hit in the trees or you must avoid the bunker) are eliminated from his line of thinking. If those negatives ever come into mind, he starts his whole preshot routine again so that before he takes a swing he is both confident and positive. Colin believes this is the secret to both his fast play on the golf course and why he is such a good competitor in one-on-one match play where emotions come into play.

As traders, there's a lot to be said about maintaining a confident and positive thinking approach at all times. Furthermore, when negative doubts and other worries start to enter your thought processes, having a system of taking a step back to gain some perspective and then trying again having a positive and confident line of thinking is something many of us would find useful. Give it a try!