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There are two kinds of people who live near me: those sad that summer is over, and the clueless types who don’t play golf.

That the golf season will continue is not the point. We will get to the leaf rule/frost delay portion of our schedule. But for those of us who entered the season with specific goals, the arrival of September means our window is closing.

Back in April, I was certain I was on the precipice of breaking 80 and whittling down to a single-digit handicap. That neither has happened yet has only heightened my urgency. So this week in my search for a breakthrough, I’m returning to five helpful nuggets of wisdom provided to me this season.

1. Cut down on the dumb

This sounds obvious—no one’s trying to make bad decisions. But one of the tenets of course management is remembering how boring it can be. Scott Fawcett, founder of the DECADE scoring system, laid out a few pillars earlier in the year that I’ve strayed from. Specifically, because my ball-striking feels sharper, I’ve been seduced into picking a few foolish targets that have led to short-sided misses and big numbers. Note to self: You’re not that good, aim for the center of the green.

2. Energy matters

There was once a time when I’d work out in the morning, mow the lawn, then carry my bag for 18 holes. For instance, I did this … last weekend. Not surprisingly, my golf has suffered. According to Golf Digest Top 50 teacher Michael Breed, golf fatigue isn’t just a slower swing. It compromises your fundamentals in countless small ways you might not notice—from a slightly slumped address position to an altered grip. Along with not being very good, I’m also no longer so young. I need to pace myself.

3. Not all swing thoughts are created equal

If it were an actual building, my library of swing thoughts would require a new wing. But Dr. Will Wu, a Professor of Motor Control and Learning at Cal State University-Long Beach, told me why some swing thoughts can be counterproductive. Specifically, Wu says it’s better to focus on a motion that incorporates several body parts at once as opposed to one specific part at a time. For instance, I like to think about a club path that feels like skimming a stone, which is more effective than focusing on just the bend in my rwrist.

4. Swing with purpose

In a few crucial moments this season, like when 79 was in sight or I was looking to close out a match, my swing reverted to “protect” mode. A couple of sports psychologists have suggested an alternative. “Tell yourself I’m turning it from a shot of protection to a shot of purpose,” was Bhrett McCabe’s advice. Matt Cuccaro, another performance coach, says we need to be “willing to miss,” which is to say, it’s better to make a confident swing knowing it might not work out than than a cautious swing that is doomed from the start. I like the phrase so much, I even wrote a version on my glove. Don’t knock it unless you’ve tried it.

5. Remember, it’s just golf

Full disclosure, I have tossed a club or two this year. In fairness, I don’t really throw them as much as I tend to drop them dramatically as I see a ball sail toward trouble. I don’t need you to tell me how stupid this is. What’s worse, the moments I take golf most seriously are when I play some of my worst. There’s no harm in being competitive, but as the happiness expert Arthur Brooks has said, expecting an activity like golf to always provide something tangible in return is problematic. “Enjoyment can also be ruined by a worldview that is excessively practical,” Brooks explained in his Atlantic column, “in which we feel our time and energy should never be ‘wasted.” I need to remember golf is worthwhile even if I don’t play well, or win. Those are always the goals. But as the newest golfer in my family has shown, just appreciating the chance to play gives me a better chance of bringing out my best.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com