Video transcript:
The easiest trap to fall into as an athlete is prioritizing the outcome over the process. So making things like wins and stats and awards the central focus over the act of playing the game and doing what it takes to play the game well. And going after accomplishments isn’t a bad thing. We should want to be good at what we do and take pride in that. We like to be recognized for being good at what we do but when we make that the main thing, we put both our performance and enjoyment at risk. And why is this? Much of it is because we’re sacrificing a task relevant focus. A focus on what we want to do in the immediate moment. Outcomes lying the future outside of our control.
Despite what most of us think, we can’t focus on both of the same time. On the flip side, your process requires you to focus on what you want to do in the immediate moment. It’s made up of all the little controllable actions that give you the best chance to perform at a high level and be the type of player that you want to be. When you compare the two types of focus, it’s no-brainer which one gives you the better chance to play your best. But not only do you play better, you enjoy it more.
After winning the Super Bowl last season, AJ Brown said it was fulfilling for two days. He said, “I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all but it wasn’t. My thrill for the game comes from when I dominate.” Scotty Shuffield this summer said, “Winning feels awesome for like two minutes, but it’s not fulfilling in the sense of the deepest places of your heart.” I know that’s only two athletes, but it’s two athletes who have reached the mountaintop and said that maybe winning isn’t as fulfilling as we make it out to be.
So if you take a good look at why you play your sport, I’d be willing to bet that you’ll find that the act of actually playing your sport is far more rewarding than any outcome. So make the process your priority and the immediate moment your focus.