How many times have you watched an athlete implode? Standing on the verge of greatness and, suddenly, out of nowhere, they have a meltdown? A rush of blood to the head, an overdose of adrenaline, or an explosion of passion—whatever causes it, the result is the same: failure.
If you’re a golf fan, you’ll likely remember Jean Van de Velde, the French golfer whose famous meltdown at the 1999 British Open cost him an almost certain win. Standing on that final tee, Van de Velde could afford to take six shots—two more than regulation for that hole—and still take the title. Caution should have been the name of the game.
Caution, however, was not on the agenda and, as a result, neither was a title win.
But it’s not just sports stars who have meltdowns. Entrepreneurs, students, activists, politicians—people from every aspect of life – are all susceptible to them.
When the chips are down, when the stakes are high, if heart rules head, if passion prevails over precision, a meltdown will almost certainly follow.
Don’t get me wrong—passion is vital. Passion gives you that initial momentum. It picks you up when you feel like you have nothing left to give. It keeps you pushing forward in the face of obstacles. It drives you towards the finish line.
But, over the years, I have learned, the hard way, that passion only takes you so far.
Passion alone will not carry you over the finish line and into victory. Crossing that line requires precision.
In any endeavour, whether it’s sport, business, the adventure into your real life, or something else altogether, there comes a time when passion must play second fiddle to precision.
Precision taking precedence over passion may sound dull, and not something that someone who advocates the single-minded pursuit of your real life would suggest. But it must. Sometimes, at least.
Think what would have happened if Van de Velde had taken that approach. What if he had assessed the situation and played for a six instead of a four on that final hole? We’ll never know, but my guess is his name might now be forever etched on the trophy.
When it comes to the adventure into your real life, just like in sport, if you are going to succeed, you must have your head, as well as your heart, in the game.
With precision, Van de Velde would likely have become a champion, Liverpool FC might have lifted the Premier League Trophy in 2014, and many a track athlete could have held onto a seemingly insurmountable lead.
With precision, many adventures that have faded into nothing would have become living, breathing realisations of destiny.
Precision gives you clarity. It clears the mists that passion brings down, allowing you to see clearly where you are headed and what needs to be done to get there.
Precision gives you focus—fixing your gaze on that point where the finish line lies, allowing you to block out distractions.
And precision gives you direction. With a clear view and a sharp focus, it is precision that will give you the direction you need to move towards, and across, that finish line.
No adventure will ever get off the ground without passion. But, without precision, even the most passion-fuelled adventure will never reach its destination.
So, as you push forward with your adventure, take a moment to catch your breath, and make space for precision to come alongside passion, and guide you towards victory.
