“Intensity is the price of excellence” – Warren Buffett

What an interesting word – Intensity.  For some, the word implies a measure of obsession.  For others, it suggests hard work and effort.  But the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and the nuances are important to understand. 

I’ve been accused of being an intense person more than once in my life.  Maybe it’s how I’m wired, but I’ve always believed in doing things with energy, focus, and purpose.  Otherwise, why bother.  Yes, there are times in life when we must do things we really don’t like, but only going through the motions takes longer than doing it focus and effort.  And so I tend to bring intensity in most everything I do.

Now to be fair, that’s not always a good thing.  Take for example my golf game.  To be blunt, I stink!  After years and years of playing I’m still carrying an 18 handicap.  And I know exactly why.  I can’t seem to approach the game with anything less than full intensity.  Every swing is over analyzed – my stance, my swing plane, my hands, even my follow through. And instead of letting my muscle memory take over, I end up in the woods or the lake instead of the fairway.  What’s worse, I can’t seem to shake the frustration from the last swing which generally makes the next even worse. Continue reading →