Tiger Woods and I are pretty similar

by Tony Chen

I'm not a golf fan, but I am a fan of art, and yesterday was a work of art for Mr. Tiger Woods. Did anyone else see this? I'm serious when I ask: are we watching the greatest athlete that ever lived?

Man, the way that he was able to play through the pain. The way he was able to keep his cool. The way he's able to tune out everything else except the ball and the hole. The way that he continues to improve his game drastically even though he's already the best. The way he's able to stay confident even after shanking a ball into the crowd. This is a level of mental toughness and discipline that we've rarely seen beyond the likes of Michael Jordan and maybe Roger Federer.

The game slows down for them. The crowd, the noises, the bodyaches fade into the background. The emotional ups and downs are tempered by a superhuman laser focus on the mission. All they can focus on is on the work of art they are about to create. They are in the zone.

I feel like I've moved into a weird second stage of being a sports fan - I am still amazed when someone leaps over a grown man to dunk a basketball, but these days, I get chills running down my spine when I watch reruns of Andre Agassi methodically disposing his opponent with psychology rather than with power. Or how LeBron James continues to make the "right" high-percentage basketball decision even if doesn't result in the win. There's something really special about seeing someone live out their passion and mission - to know they are here on this earth for this purpose and for such a time as this.

So, I'm a little jealous. I'm no superstar athlete (though in another life, I'm convinced I was Jason Kidd, and before that I was Jerry Rice). Today, I'm just a 32-year-old dad with a desk job and an aching back. Where in the world is my zone?

It turns out that Tiger got me thinking about the zones that I'm starting to see even in my average suburban life. I've been doing some heavy soul-searching and reflecting about what my passions really are. Honestly, it was these internal conversations that led me to start savvydaddy.com. But even more so, it's a lot of more daily mundane (but important) stuff, too:

1. When I go to work, I try to envision myself going on "the court." This is my time to be in the zone. And a lot of that is realizing that what I do can help hundreds, if not thousands of patients receive better care. And while my zone usually takes place in meetings, in ideas, in spreadsheets, and in ppt, this is my craft. Tiger works on swings, putts, and physical conditioning, I work on strategic clarity, relationship-building, and story-telling. As they say, fundamentals.
   
   
2. When I'm with Meme, I'm also on the court. I'm observing his actions, behaviors, and motivations all the time. Bringing out the best in him requires me to be at my best, too. The same can be said for my marriage and friendships. The fundamentals? Being fully present. It's a battle every day, isn't it? It's not letting the tantrum-induced emotional roller coaster impact me and having the long-term view to discipline consistently today. It's "willing" (or is it "letting go" of ) the stresses, anxieties, and to-do's of work to disappear, so I can focus on the little guy's new words.
   
   
3. When I'm not on the court, I've been trying to take the time to recharge, reflect, and re-a-lot-of-things. We see these athletes perform at such amazing levels on stage, but isn't it really due to all the prep they've done when no one's looking? That extra work-out. That extra studying of the film. That extra 15 seconds of stretching. For me as a dad, the key thing for me right now? It's having the discipline to turn off the computer earlier every night to get some sleep.
   

So, Tiger Woods, thanks for helping me be a better dad and for inspiring me to (among other things) watch less TV and surf the internet less. Seems like you would be a pretty good dad yourself. And hopefully you'll still be playing in a few years, when I can share with my son about your U.S. Open win that will live on for a long time.

(photo credit: ESPN)