THREE STAGES OF CHANGE

Any time you make a change -- whether it's improving your golf swing, moving with your family from one city to another or even changing your shot -- you will go through three stages of change. To maximize your chances of success, it's vital that you understand and enthusiastically and intelligently move through the stages.

Stage One - Letting Go of the Old

As strange as it might seem, the first stage of all changes is an ending.

When Tiger made the changes to his swing in 1997 and 2002, he had to leave his old swing behind. For most people this would be a difficult choice, because Tiger had been wildly successful with that swing. However, he knew the swing that got him to where he was wouldn't get him to where he wanted to go. So he made a leap of faith in order to get better.

"You can't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

- Andre Gide

Stage Two - Transitioning Between the Old and the New

Stage two is the limbo period between the old and the new. The period of time when the new isn't working well enough for you to be totally comfortable with it, so you begin to think about returning to the old way of doing things.

"It's not so much that we're afraid to change or so in love with the old ways, but it's that place in between that we fear. It's like being between two trapezes. It's Linus with his blanket in the dryer. There is nothing to hold on to."

- Marilyn Ferguson

It's the price you have to pay to make the change. If done correctly, the price paid in the transition period is far less than the price paid if you stubbornly hang onto the old way.

Stage Three - Embracing the New

The first stage of change is an ending. The last stage of change is a new beginning, complete with enhanced skills learned during the flight.

"The only joy in the world is to begin."

- Cesare Pavese

Notes on Tiger Woods from the book "Tiger Traits" by Nate Booth.