The heat of summer is here!
This month’s article will be short and sweet, as I am in the peak of the season like everyone else.
I kept thinking about priorities, and how I was supposed to get everything done on my to-do list. This time of year, everyone needs my attention. I’m not saying I’m important, but I’m the one they look to for guidance in my role. It’s constantly coming at us as PGA Professionals. At every club or golf course, there is a golf professional, director of golf, or general manager wearing many different hats in the same day. It’s daunting.
I took a few minutes to Google prioritizing, and the first thing I read about was prioritizing mental health. Hmm, I’m a golf pro. I don’t do that. LOL!
No, seriously, our mental health takes a beating during this time of year. It’s so hard to make time for ourselves. Even when we do, we get interrupted by emergencies or unexpected dilemmas, and we struggle to take care of ourselves. The definition of mental health that I liked from ERG is that it encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting how we think, feel, and act.
I’ve been a bundle of stress and anxiety for most of the last year, and I don’t think I get enough sleep. I also don’t think I know how to turn off my brain. These are the exact symptoms I’m reading about, but enough about me.
Make time for your mental health. Look it up. There is hope for us yet. Get out and play some golf by yourself. I think that’s the ticket, and I love the early mornings.
The second part of prioritizing I was looking for was how to manage the to-do list that I have in front of me each day. In my work world, the third week of the month is meeting week. All of our committees meet, and then the board meets the following week. By the time I’m done, I have a fresh new list!
Well, the first thing I found was to write down all of your tasks. Check! I do that! The second suggestion from Teamwork.com was to determine which tasks are truly important, then stick to a schedule that reflects your priority tasks and focus on one task at a time. They said to tackle your most intense, high-effort tasks first. I don’t do that. I have four or five going at the same time, usually one high-effort task, and several small items I can knock off the list when I need a break from the intense one. That might be too much. Saying it makes it seem stressful. The final suggestion that seems common in all articles is to have a deadline. I suppose that keeps us accountable.
As a member of the PNWPGA, you need to know that your Section leadership and staff are working hard to prioritize the most important task to serve the member and grow the game. Even though we are busy, our officers meet once a month, the VP’s meet each month to discuss our financial success, and the Chapter President’s meet with me and Frank each month. We are listening for what is most important to you. Please, reach out to any of us with ideas, suggestions, or opportunities to make us more successful. As we move into fall, we will be working to address opportunities to improve.
In closing, I am very excited about the event schedule for fall, particularly around the Section Championship, Pro-Pro, and fall meeting, all held together at Suncadia. Also, the PNW PGA Mentoring Conference is set for November 1-2, 2023 with powerful speakers from around the country. Mark your calendar and plan to join us!
Have a great August!