"Concentration, Confidence, Competitive urge, Capacity for enjoyment.” -Arnold Palmer, Legendary American Golfer, Arnold Palmer books//

The 4 "C"s of golf described by Arnold Palmer also apply to achieving success in life:

Concentration. A lack of focus is the most common culprit for wandering afield, rather than completing the task at hand. Yes, it is important to keep your eyes open for new opportunities that may come along, but to use an analogy from golf, wherever your head moves, your body (and the ball) will follow. You won't be able to hit the ball straight and long without keeping your head down and eyes on it. If you want to successfully complete a task in life, it must also receive your complete attention, or you will not achieve the desired results.

Confidence. A lack of confidence can be attributed to a myriad of things, including poor self-image, negative self-talk, lack of knowledge or understanding of a subject matter, or working outside of your current comfort zone. There are also many different ways to build confidence, including the creation of affirmations, positive self-talk, learning new things or mastering a skill, and building on strengths. The majority of successful people, including golfers or other athletes, do whatever it takes to improve their skills and build-up their confidence. When a good golfer lines up to drive the ball, he already knows that it's going to go straight toward the pin, and the same is true for confident people in other aspects of life.

Competitive Urge. Successful people understand the value of competition, and most of them actively seek it out. While competition may tend to bring out the worst in some, usually those who lack concentration and confidence, it is the fuel that drives winners to give their all and consistently stretch themselves beyond their current capabilities. Competitive people are always looking for ways to improve themselves, their business and their results. Athletes of all kinds, including golfers, are competitors at their core, and competition is one of their primary motivators. If you don't have the competitive urge, then it is unlikely that you will push yourself to work outside of your comfort zone and improve results.

Capacity for Enjoyment. If it isn't fun, then why are you doing it? Granted, work is not always going to be fun; however, if a person cannot find the capacity within themselves to enjoy the task at hand, then the level of performance will be mediocre at best. Enjoyment is different from satisfaction, as the latter is the feeling you get after the work is done. Enjoyment is the feeling you get during the process of achieving your goals. If a golfer doesn't enjoy practicing her swing at the driving range, then she will never be successful at perfecting the use of her seven iron. Likewise, if you don't enjoy the steps along the way, then you may never be able to achieve great results in that endeavor. You should find a way to enjoy all things you do in life, to one degree or another.

Abiding by the 4 "C"s helped to make Arnold Palmer a hugely successful golfer. Applying the 4 "C"s to your life and actions can help you succeed too.