The Next Phase of the Journey

Every now and then, a problem comes along that, first of all, is not really a problem, and second of all, fits the phrase a good problem to have. For the past few months, I have found myself in this conundrum, and unfortunately, I am now at the point where I have to do something about it.

What’s the problem, you may be wondering?

I legitimately have too many interests.

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Working to become a full PGA Member, or as I like to call it, getting a Ph.D. in Golf, is no walk in the park at any age. The sheer amount of work required is astronomical. I estimate that each week I help run a golf course for 40 hours, teach for 10 hours more, practice for 5-10 hours more, and play for 5-10 hours more. These are just the necessary bare minimums, and since I am doing this as a second career as a forty year old, don’t forget about the roughly 830 hours of outside portfolio work at night or on my days off. Or the 3 weeklong seminars, the 8-12 tournaments I play all over God’s Green Earth each year, the 2-3 quarterly junior camps, and a partridge in a pear tree.

This is enough to keep a twenty five year old with nothing but freedom busy, much less a forty year old with a young family and oodles of outside interests. I love it all immensely and sleep like a baby at night, but something has to give.

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Family dinners, experiencing all 50 states (I’m at 44), sports trips with Banks, all of the aforementioned golf stuff, even mildly supporting Christy’s interests, jet skiing, keeping my body and mind fit, Banks’ soccer, mornings with Charli, nights in New Orleans, not frequent enough visits back to North Carolina, and maybe, just maybe, the occasional spicy date night.

The list could go on and on. On the plus side, I am never, ever bored. On the minus side, the jet ski is collecting dust.

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For the better part of six years now, I have written a blog, article, or whatever you want to call it virtually every single week. Including this piece, that is 272 articles. I find the writing to be an incredible experience, but it does require a clear mind or the creative juices won’t flow. Most of my days now, my mind is concerned with wrist angles in the golf swing, the development of my children, where the best shrimp and grits on the coast is, when said date night might occur, and cleaning the cobwebs off of the jet ski. I sought to build a very robust life, which I have, and unfortunately, there is not much brain space left for creating a coherent weekly piece that I am proud of anymore.

Here’s what I am going to do. I love writing. I really do. But I’m not going to give up the actions that I write about so that I can write more. That makes no sense. So I’m going to keep taking notes, taking pictures, and taking videos. When I feel inspired and have a clear mind, I will write. An arbitrary goal is once or twice per month instead of weekly, but who knows.

As I said from the jump, the journey is about doing. About living a complete life fulfilling wants and needs, pursuing hopes and dreams, and limiting regrets when it comes to things I never got around to.

When the kids are grown and the golf swing has deteriorated, I will write more. I still have a lot to say, but for now, I have even more I want to do.

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Have a great week.-Benj

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