In golf, this could be the result of a single bad swing. In life, it rarely happens this way.
We end up in the rough over time. We appear on course. There or thereabout. The deviations are slight. We notice them, but figure it’s manageable. Most of the time it is.
Challenge is that whenever something is not perfectly on course, it requires ongoing and frequent course corrections. It desires constant recalibration. In order for us to manage this, it must be front of mind. A feat that is much more challenging to achieve.
The alternative is to fix the deviations like the trim in an aircraft. Set the elevator just right so the aircraft maintains altitude by itself. It takes slightly more effort up front but saves plenty of drama down the road.