Do you have model or a destination

Model or destination — what’s the difference?

I came across this comparison recently while working on my golf game, and it stuck with me.

I’ve played for years. I’ve watched thousands of videos on swing mechanics, game improvement, mental approaches, and equipment. If you play golf long enough, you can’t help but wonder: Would this work for me? Would that be the missing piece?

That question hit home while watching Peter Finch. He’s not one of the young bucks coming up on tour. He’s a bigger guy, a little older, with swing speeds that feel relatable. And I caught myself thinking: Could his swing work for me?

So I started recording myself. Watching. Comparing. Looking for similarities and differences.

And then it clicked.

I didn’t need his swing as a destination. I needed it as a model.

A model shows what’s possible. It shows principles that work for someone else — principles you can adapt, not copy. My destination isn’t to swing like Peter Finch. My destination is to be a more consistent, confident golfer. The model just helps guide the way.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much this applies to life.

We look around all the time for destinations:

• the job we want

• the body we want

• the life we imagine

But where are our models?

Who are we watching to learn how to move forward — not just where we want to end up?

This time of year, I’m reminded that for many of us, our model is found at church. I’m grateful to attend a place that does exactly this — sharing stories of failure, growth, grace, and change. Stories that don’t just point to a destination, but offer a model to follow along the way.

Maybe the real question isn’t Where do I want to go? Maybe it’s Who — or what — am I learning from as I go there?