A great golfer doesn’t stand over a putt thinking about the prize money.
They focus on the shot in front of them.
One swing.
One moment.
A pure connection between mind, body, and action.
Creativity works the same way.
When you obsess over the end result—recognition, revenue, or making it “big”—your focus fractures.
The work suffers.
The best creative minds aren’t fixated on the finish line; they are locked in on the next brushstroke, sentence, and note.
Tiger Woods once said, “I try to stay in the present and play one shot at a time.”
That’s a master’s mindset.
The moment you let your attention drift to the trophy, you tighten up.
The hands that should be fluid turn rigid.
The stroke loses its rhythm.
Creativity is no different.
When you chase the outcome, the process collapses.
A golfer trusts their preparation.
They’ve hit that shot a thousand times.
A creative must do the same—trust their craft, instincts, and reps.
The win comes not from worrying about winning but from executing the work, one perfect stroke at a time.
Play the shot.
Write the sentence.
Paint the line.
Let the result take care of itself.
“The best never chase the trophy; they chase the moment.” — Mike Brewer