Listening to a golfer you’ll possibly hear them complain about the weather, the speed of the greens, the quality of the fairway, their clubs, the ball, or whatever they noticed and can call a problem.

Searching for external problems isn’t limited to golfers though.

There are situations in which what they noticed was true. But many of these circumstances are the same for those playing with them. Many of these variables simply are to be expected or to be integrated into one’s game. Some can be assessed when entering the course, but their impact remains unpredictable.

There are days when the ball that hits the tree comes back onto the fairway. On other occasions, it disappears in the woods. The speed of a specific green can become visible when others put first, but it doesn’t say enough about how hard you have to hit the ball.

In a world in which almost everyone wants to become better, being able to blame something is a way to vent. Blaming circumstances, oneself, or others is nothing else than defending oneself against our unfulfilled hopes or other people’s expectations. It happens, whenever the result of one’s action is seen through the lens of failure or being at fault.

The challenge the person experiences, and it is true for leaders as well as golfers, is to be in a space in which their focus is on becoming aware of what is happening. That is with a focus allowing one to become aware of the relationship between one’s action, its circumstances, and the observed result. The space they are looking for enables them to learn how their interaction with the tools they used, the methods they applied, and the circumstances under which they acted differed from their plan. It is a space of acceptance that has nothing to do with giving up. And a space allowing them to be fully present to the events.

Sometimes, however, being at fault or failing is so unbearable, that searching for an external solution, implementing a new method, or buying a new tool creates enough relief to step back into learning. The drawback is that most of the time the satisfaction it creates mainly justifies the need for external solutions.