As fun as golf can be, sometimes you lose you mojo. Whether it’s a slump in your score, the weather changing for the worse, or your schedule getting busier, there are times where you just aren’t as into golf as you once were. Time will inevitably fix it eventually, but if you’re playing competitively, there might not be time to be in a motivational slump. So, how do you get your motivation back?

This is where a mission statement comes in. It’s your statement of purpose: why you golf.

Once created, you can use your mission statement to tap into your motivation anytime, anywhere, regardless of the circumstances.

Brainstorm

Before you jump into creating your mission statement, you want to take time to reflect on what you love about golf and all the reasons behind why you play. Write everything down, even if it seems small. Look at the internal reasons you enjoy golf such as the love of the game, the sense of accomplishment when you improve, or the fun you have with friends. Then, look at the external motivators like which courses you’d like to travel to, writing down your all-time lowest score, or the feeling of your favorite golf gear.

Once you have this list, narrow it down to the core reasons you love golf. If you look at one of the reasons on your list, and you’re not fired up by it, then it isn’t a core reason. But, if you look at it and think, “yes, this is why I play,” or you get a bit tingly with excitement . . . that’s a core reason.

There is no right number for this list of core reasons, but narrowing down to three or four is a good goal. If you have too few or too many, you may find the next step a bit harder.

Create Your Mission Statement

In this step, aim to combine your ideas into a sentence, phrase, or other meaningful way of capturing those ideas like an acronym or symbol. For example. If your core reasons for playing golf are Fun, Improvement, Socializing, and Heath, you might create the acronym FISH or an image of a fish, or the sentence “Golf fuels my body and soul while I hang out with my friends” to motivate you.

Whatever you create, it should capture the essence of why you golf. You can adjust the words that you chose in the first step to better suit your sentence or acronym; for example, “fun” becomes “joy”, or “health” becomes “fitness”. Rework the sentence or idea until it feels right for you. When you mission statement fires you up just by reading it, you’ve tapped into your why.

Use Your Mission Statement

You’re now ready to use your mission statement, but how you do that is up to you. Consider the times where your motivation drops and plan to use it then. For example, if it’s colder in the mornings, and you dread heading out to the course, set your phone alarm to show your mission statement, or put up a poster where you get ready.

You can also use your mission statement proactively, such as at the start of each round or practice session. Find ways to make you mission statement front and center so it’s there when you need it, for example, creating a bag tag with your phrase or symbol, or leave a sticky note in your care so you can see it each time you drive to the course.

Once your mission statement is created, remember to use it consistently until your motivation returns.

Keep in mind that you can also change your statement as your motivation changes, or if you’ve used it for a while and it is not getting you as fired up as it once had.

It’s normal for motivation to go up and down, but you don’t have to just ride the waves; arm yourself with a mission statement so that you can pick your motivation up whenever it drops.