4 majors (for growth)

Are you ready to dominate your financial course?

I’m super happy you’re here.

I want to help you get more life out of your money

– so you can be a master of the green.

If you’re feeling loose, let’s tee one up on…

A month unlike any other…

 April is by far my favorite month.

• The temperature is starting to rise

• Spring is underway and leaves are back on trees

• Days are getting noticeably longer

• More time outdoors

And of course, it’s the unofficial kickoff to golf season.

Golf's four 'original' majors

April is the month when the first of golf’s four majors is held. 

The concept of golf's "majors" dates back to the early 20th century, when the sport's top tournaments gained special significance due to the caliber of competition.

The four majors originally consisted of two British tournaments and two American tournaments:

• the U.S. Open

• the U.S. Amateur

and their British counterparts

• The Open Championship and

• The Amateur Championship.

With the addition of The Masters in 1934, and the formalization of professional golf and the PGA Tour golf in the 1950s and 60s, the major championships eventually came to be known as: The Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and The Open Championship. 

Each major has its own history and uniqueness -

The PGA Tour’s four majors:

The Masters

Established in 1934, The Masters is held annually at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.  It is known for many things, but the best-known symbol of the Masters is the iconic green jacket awarded to the winner.

The Masters is the only one of the PGA Tour’s four majors that is held at the same course every year.  It’s unique in that respect and in the way it’s run.  For a peek behind some of the money behind the Masters, you should check out this piece by Ron Sirak.

PGA Championship

Established in 1916, the PGA Championship is organized by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America). Initially held in match-play format, it switched to stroke play in 1958. The tournament takes place at different venues in the United States, providing a diverse range of courses for competitors.

This year’s PGA Championship will be held May 16-19 at Valhalla Golf Course.

U.S. Open

The U.S. Open is one of the oldest golf championships, dating back to 1895. Organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA), this tournament is characterized by challenging course setups, emphasizing accuracy and endurance. The venue changes each year, showcasing a variety of courses across the United States.

There have been 123 editions of the U.S. Open since it was established.  The tournament was canceled in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I and 1942-1945 due to World War II. 

This year’s U.S. Open will be held June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2.

The Open Championship (British Open)

First played in 1860, The Open Championship is the oldest of the four majors. It takes place on various links-style courses in the United Kingdom and occasionally in other locations. The tournament is known for its unpredictable weather conditions and the unique challenges posed by links golf.

This year’s open championship will be held July 18-21 at Royal Troon Golf Club.

Winning all four majors during one’s career is a rare and prestigious achievement, known as a Grand Slam.

In the modern era, there are only five golfers who have accomplished this feat: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

Not to be overlooked, Bobby Jones won all four of the “original” majors (U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, The Open Championship, and The Amateur Championship) in a single year.

The closest a modern golfer has come to this accomplishment is when Tiger Woods held all four modern major crowns at the same time, but during different seasons in during 2000 and 2001. 

The 'grand slam' for personal growth

Winning golf's Grand Slam comes from a confluence of a number of factors, talent, hard work, persistence, and even a little luck.

These four factors can also play a role in our personal success.

You can't do anything about talent and luck. However, you can do something about hard work and persistence.

But how can you be sure the hard work you put in pays off?

One question I ask myself often is,

What can I work on today, that can make an exponential impact for me in the future?

Asking this question has led me to explore a number of areas for my own personal growth.

Over the past 12 months, these are the four that I've been most consistently drawn towards and the four that I've been able to see immediate payoffs from:

Curiosity

I can’t say this better myself, so I’ll borrow from Dan Solin and his book, “Ask”. -

“Nothing is more fundamental for success in almost any activity than the desire to investigate and learn more.  Researchers have shown that curiosity is the fuel that powers personal growth and happiness."

If you have young children, you know how curious they can be.  It's not long after they wake up that I'm usually met with a barrage of “why’s”?

Curiosity is essential to young brains educational attainment.  However, at some point we lose that curiosity.  We become so focused on carrying out our day-to-day routines we forget to explore our curiosity when problem solving. 

The solution?  Act like a child.

The 5 Whys method originated from the Toyota Production System and is widely used in various industries for problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives.

It encourages a systematic approach to problem-solving and helps teams address issues more effectively by getting to the heart of the matter.

The idea is as simple as it sounds.  When confronted with a problem, ask “why” and keep on asking why until you arrive at the root cause.  This will lead to a deeper understanding of the problem you face and enable you to arrive at better solutions. 

Curiosity is a super-power.  Don’t forget to use yours. 

Ownership

I’ve professed my love for the book Extreme Ownership before.  It’s such an important leadership principle.  As a leader, you’re responsible for EVERYTHING, whether it's directly within your control or not.

That includes owning mistakes, setbacks, and failures from others on your team.  By doing so, you create a culture of accountability and foster a proactive mindset.

Here’s the ironic thing: Extreme Ownership is written by two bad-ass Navy SEALS named Jocko and Leif who learned leadership on battlefields in Iraq.  Just picture in your head what they might look like. 

Now, contrast that image with that of Jim Dethmer and Diana Chapman, founders of the Conscious Leadership Group.  Jim and Diana profess to, “transform your leadership and culture by challenging business as usual by revealing unconscious beliefs and behaviors in playful and provocative ways.”

“Playful” and “provocative” don’t exactly sound like words that belong on the battlefield, do they? 

However, imagine my surprise to discover that the first commitment of a conscious leader is “taking radical responsibility” – as told in Jim and Diana’s book, “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership”.

Responsibility, or ownership, seems to be a common leadership theme no matter where your experiences come from. 

It can be a hard mindset shift to make.  It’s very easy to become victims of our own circumstances.  The default is to see things as happening “to us” as opposed to “through us.” 

“Extreme ownership” and “radical responsibility” are the antidote to a victim mentality and can help you unlock exponential personal growth. 

Routine

Every morning you might drink your coffee, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, and head off to work.  This is a routine. 

 However, daily routines also have the potential to be transformational. 

 If you’ve read Atomic Habits or tried Hard 75, you know what I’m talking about.  These are both rooted in the power of using routines to create transformational change. 

 Routines might seem mundane, or even boring.  However, if you look at your daily activities, you’ll likely find opportunities for improvement -

• What do you do first thing in the morning?

• What do you pack for lunch?

• What’s the first thing you do at work?

• How do you make a point to recognize your colleagues?

• What do you do to prepare for meetings?

• How do you carry out the essential functions of your job?

• How do you greet your family when you come home?

• What’s the last thing you do before you go to sleep?

 Creating routines around your daily activities can help you build better habits.  Better habits will fuel your growth. 

 Don't just strive to do it again. Do it better.

Failure

Ten years ago, I got fired from my dream job.  I had a lot of head-trash to unpack from that event.

• I’m a failure.

• I didn’t deserve that job in the first place.

• I’m not a good leader (probably true at the time).

• I let my family down.

• My friends probably think I’m a joke.

• I’ll never get an opportunity like that again.

That was 10 years ago.  It was the last job I worked in the nonprofit sector.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that failure was a springboard to success.  It threw gas on a spark that I had inside me all along. 

Since then –

• I switched careers.

• I’ve gotten two jobs in a completely new industry.

• I’ve been promoted several times.

• I obtained my CFP in addition to multiple other designations.

• I’ve turned down multiple job opportunities that we're the right fit.

• I’ve been fortunate to advise hundreds of clients on financial matters.

• I self-published a book.

• I started multiple LLC’s.

But most importantly, I understand what I know is valuable and I have committed to sharing it with the world.

That list isn’t for you.  It’s for me and my head-trash from 10 years ago. 

 What is for you is this –

 If you have that head-trash – that voice in your head telling you, “you’re not worthy” – pay attention to it. 

Zero in on what it says.  Listen to it very closely.  And then use it as fuel to propel you to your next success.  In 10 years, you’ll have a humble-brag list that’s better than mine.  I promise you. 

What's on your list of majors?

I'm curious...what are you leaning into for growth these days?

What are you focused on today that will have an exponential impact in the future?

I'd love to hear! Let's grow together.