I’ll be honest – I know nothing about golf. However, I read a comment from Justin Rose the other day that I thought would be very helpful to any student currently immersed in revision (or just thinking about it!):
I always say it’s only a bad shot if you react badly to it. You need to accept that you’re human and if you make a bad decision just accept it. And as long as you learn from it don’t beat yourself up about making a mistake. So if you hit a bad shot, immediately let it go. Then give yourself a challenge: ‘I’ve hit it in the trees, so this will be a great par.’ Always looking forward like that. There’s no use dwelling on the past. That’s an ongoing challenge for me, and I think for a lot of people in life it’s one of the hardest things to do.’
He is absolutely right. The most successful people in all walks of life are those who focus on solutions rather than problems. Exam season is almost upon us (for Y10 it has already begun). One of the biggest sources of stress around exam revision is when students look back rather than forward: ‘I did really badly on this in the mock’; ‘I’ve never been able to do this.’ Take Rose’s advice and stop beating yourself up. Focus on what you can do and each day challenge yourself to do something a little better. That way you can make real progress without the crippling anxiety that dwelling on the past can bring.
