---
# Daily Inspiration:"Fierce determination is everything!"
**URL:** https://jimcarroll.com/2026/04/daily-inspirationfierce-determination-is-everything/
Date: 2026-04-06
Author: JimCarroll
Post Type: post
Summary: “Fierce determination is everything!” – Futurist Jim Carroll The Art of the Infinite Pivot has been paused until tomorrow. A bridge is meant to be crossed, not lived on. Once you cross it, you’ll know the difference between surviving a setback and totally conquering it. I promise this will be the last post about my […]
Categories: Blog, Golf, Sports & Fitness
Featured Image: https://jimcarroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/FierceDetermination.jpg
---
*"Fierce determination is everything!"* - Futurist Jim Carroll
*The Art of the Infinite Pivot has been paused until tomorrow.*
A bridge is meant to be crossed, not lived on.
*Once you cross it, you'll know the difference between surviving a setback and totally conquering it.*
I promise this will be the last post about my injury and recovery. But what a moment on Saturday! It could not have been scripted better!
Exactly 128 days ago, a severe fall left me lying on the ground with three fractured vertebrae in my lower back. At the time, I had all kinds of negative thoughts - skiing was out for the season, I might not be able to golf, things might go from bad to worse. I also know my fall could have been worse - nerve damage, a concussion if I hit my head, and worse.
From that moment, I didn't let the fear drive me - I reached out to various medical and sports experts to get a clear assessment of my condition and path forward. And I decided early on that rather than living in the fear of what the injury did to me, I'd build a foundation of hope for where I could go.
Picture this - just days after the 'incident', I was recording 5km walks on Strava of walks inside my house. 1000 meters at a time, headphones on, speed walking loops through my living room and kitchen. Just a few weeks later, I started "*mall-walking*." Two months in, I went back to the gym. At the three-month mark, I began working on pivot exercises and doing actual golf swings.
St. Andrews and a tee time on the Open Course became my entire focus, my goal, my objective.
I put in the work.
The fact is, I was building a foundation for this goal of teeing off! Every grueling 40-second plank, every heavy rotational cable twist, and every disciplined swing in the simulator was a deliberate brick laid to cross the gap between a broken chassis and a bulletproof engine.
The ultimate payoff came Saturday - my son and I managed to snag a second tee time on the Old Course - my original prebooked one happens later today. (Two rounds!)
We arrived at the tee for an early start with this sunrise in view. I'll admit. I almost cried with joy and relief.
And our moment finally arrived, third off the tee.
My drive was perfect. My second shot was too perfect, running long and rolling right into the Swilcan Burn. No problem - my drop had me chipping perfectly onto the green, and draining my 10-foot putt for an opening double.
Looking back, I knew I was on my way and that the injury was behind me.
It got better from that point - after a bit of a challenging start, I managed par on the next hole - and then proceeded to play one of the greatest rounds of my life! (That's not an understatement. I had 107 rounds last year.) And walking the back nine of the Old Course at St. Andrews, hitting 100% of my fairways off the tee, and shooting an 88—t*he greatest victory was that I didn't think about my back a single time. **(*My son shot a 2 over 74 from the Blacks, and that came with two 3-putts on the last two holes. Remarkable!)
No flinching, no muscle spasms, no hesitation.
Nothing. I was just enjoying my time! And for me, breaking 90 on the Old Course was a remarkable achievement.
With that, the ghost of the injury is officially gone.
For the last four months, I’ve been living on the bridge of "*recovery."* But standing on the Swilcan Bridge Saturday, a fist pump in action, I realized that phase is over.
*I've officially reached the other side of the recovery bridge.*
Whatever massive setback you are rebuilding from right now, keep engineering your outcome*. *
*The daily work is heavy, the data can be terrifying, but the view from the other side is entirely worth it.*
---
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