By Annika Sorenstam
With Ron Sirak
Photo By Dom Furore December 2008

1. Follow your instincts
Nobody knows you better than you do, so when you start to doubt what you're doing it's time to re-evaluate the situation. I always played to be the best, so when I knew in my heart I no longer had the time or desire to put in the work needed to be No. 1, I realized it was time to embrace another challenge. At the 2007 Nabisco -- the last tournament I played before I was diagnosed with a ruptured disk in my neck -- I struggled with distance control with my irons, which has always been one of my strengths. A 6-iron would go 172 yards one time and 145 the next. I knew something was wrong. The injury gave me time to re-evaluate my life. When you realize you have achieved all your goals in one area, seek challenges elsewhere.

2. Achieve life
That's the tagline for one of my corporate partners, but it really applies to my life. I have a lot I want to achieve in areas beyond com-petitive golf. I want to give back through my foundation, succeed as a businesswoman and even get on some corporate boards. I'm getting married to Mike McGee, the son of former PGA Tour player Jerry McGee and the managing director of my company, and would like to start a family. To be a great golfer you have to be totally committed to the task at hand. I've always been a very competitive person with an overwhelming passion to be the best at whatever I do. In recent years, that passion shifted from competitive golf and toward my various business ventures. Now I want to share my passion to help inspire others. I'm stepping away from competitive golf, but not the game of golf. When your passion shifts, follow it.

3. Listen to your body
My neck injury was a major wake-up call. It made me realize how hard I had worked my body over the last 20 years. I don't think most fans understand that, in addition to the hours I practiced every day, I also put in hours in the gym. Beginning in 2001, when I started working with my trainer, Kai Fusser, I was totally committed to a workout program that included pull-ups while wearing 10-pound ankle weights and push-ups with a 45-pound weight on my back. From 2001 until my neck injury in April 2007, I never missed a scheduled workout. Kai says I'm the only athlete he has ever worked with who can say that. But you can go too far. When the doctor diagnosed my ruptured disk, I asked what I needed to do to play the next day. At first my mind would not accept that I had to stop for a while. For those truly ready to retire, your body probably knows it's time before your mind does.

4. Recognize when play becomes work
When you've reached a point when the joy of the job is surpassed by the work of the job, it's time to move on. I wasn't playing as well as I thought I should, and that frustrated me. Then I would win and think, Well, I should have won. That's a tough situation, and even winning was not as satisfying as it once was, except for proving I could come back from my injury. When you feel you have nothing left to prove, it's time to direct your energy elsewhere. It was hard to get excited about practicing and even playing in the early rounds of tournaments. Don't get me wrong, I love golf and always will. But be aware of when it's time to find a new way to express your passion for what you really love.

5. Recognize when work becomes play
I used to not really enjoy pro-ams or attending dinner functions related to tournaments because I wanted to rest or focus on my game. Now I see them as a chance to network, meet executives in other industries and get to know the sponsors who support us. I became aware that the part of my job I used to dread was becoming the more interesting part for me. Be aware of when your worldview changes. For me, the tipping point came when I played the Colonial on the PGA Tour in 2003. There was a four-month build-up to Colonial, during which I was asked constant questions about why I was taking such a risk. The media attention the week of the tournament was bigger than a major championship. I came away from Colonial being comfortable for the first time with my place in the game. I think that's when I started to become the one-word athlete -- Annika. Sometimes things happen in your life that redefine you. Look for those signs.