I don't think you ever will yourself to win. I think you prepare yourself the best you can, get yourself in the best mindset you can get in, and go after it.
Interpretation
Winning comes from preparation and a positive mindset rather than sheer willpower.
Jack Nicklaus emphasizes that success is not solely achieved by a strong will, but through thorough preparation and cultivating a positive mindset. Rather than simply wanting to win, one must actively prepare and position oneself mentally to pursue success effectively.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a sports event.
There's more to be learned here [St. Andrews] about course design than anywhere. Collection bunkers, false fronts, bump shots. The fundamentals of design became fundamental because of what's here. And it happened accidentally. Or maybe accidentally on purpose.
Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.
I'm a firm believer that in the theory that people only do their best at things they truly enjoy. It is difficult to excel at something you don't enjoy.
A big part of managing a golf course is managing your swing on the course. A lot of guys can go out and hit a golf ball, but they have no idea how to manage what they do with the ball. I've won as many golf tournaments hitting the ball badly as I have hitting the ball well.
All I ever wanted to do was play competitive golf against the best players in the world.
I don't think about winning the Masters as part of the slam. You want to win the Masters because of what it means to the game.
I think when you compete every week, when you play under pressure daily, you find your rituals to be 100 percent focused on what you're doing.
Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.
To be, in a word, unborable.... It is the key to modern life. If you are immune to boredom, there is literally nothing you cannot accomplish
When we can identify a problem and face the problem with confidence and enthusiasm, the solution is on the way.
My mother always taught me never to look back in regret but to move on to the next thing. The amount of time people waste dwelling on failures rather than putting that energy into another project, always amazes me. I have fun running all the Virgin businesses-so a setback is never a bad experience, just a learning curve.
Some people will tell you that slow is good - but I'm here to tell you that fast is better. I've always believed this, in spite of the trouble it's caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.