This is one of the most powerful lessons I have personally learned from working in the field of improving performance with mental skills. Essentially the point is to use our valuable time and attention on the controllable aspects of our game. As an athlete it is part of your responsibility to understand what parts of the game we can control and what parts we can’t.
When you’re competing in sport, things happen quickly! The opponent may be gaining momentum, you have to transition from offense to defense with little preparation, or the starting athlete got injured and it’s your turn to step up. Part of what makes sport so much fun is the element of “no one knows what can happen next.” The underdog always has a chance of upsetting the favorite and big plays can happen on routine simple play calls.
It may seem like common sense, however taking the time to truly look at what you control and creating a plan to keep focus on the controllables can positively change your game.
Why is this important?
In competition all people have limited time, energy, and attention.
Time
Limited time is clear. In each match, game, or competition the clock will reach 0:00, you’ll cross the finish line, or reach the winning amount of points. During the limited time of competition, it is so important to make sure you are focused to play and give your all. For you to reach your goals you must use your time effectively and efficiently.
Energy
Based on your training and practices you will have a great amount of energy to compete. However, there will be a point when energy is drained and it gets tough to bring high intensity at the end of a game. There will eventually be a point where you need to rest and recuperate. Then be you will able to put your best performance forward.
Attention
Limited attention may not make as much sense as time and energy. Let’s break it down. Despite what you may believe there is no such thing as effective multitasking. Research suggests that for a person to put forth their best performance they must be as focused as possible on the single task. If you’re trying to focus on writing for school or work and listen to someone speak at the same time, you can sometimes write the words your hearing instead of what you planned to write. This is because your brain can’t handle all of the information coming in and organize it correctly.
This applies to sport because if you are worried about what the player on the team said to you then your performance in the moment drops. You might miss a block, whiff on a pass, or get caught up in your own footwork. This is why attention is so important. Where you place your attention can impact your level of performance.
I say all this to make the point that worrying, focusing, thinking about the parts of sport you can’t control WASTES your time, energy, and attention.
Think about what makes great athletes great. I bet you will find many of the things great athletes do in the list below. I’ve started this list and I encourage you to add the components of your specific game that you can control!
- Effort
- Communication
- Dedication
- Commitment
- Hard work
- Showing up on time
- Ready for each play
- Focused on the present
Leave a comment below on what you would add to this list!
How to Control the Controllables
1. Quick check back in
The first key with many elements of mental skills training is self-awareness. You need to notice when you’re wasting time, energy, and effort by focusing on the uncontrollable. A great way to start developing this self-awareness is to understand that you have a choice on where you place your attention, time, and energy. Become active in where you place your attention, don’t just let your attention go here and there, place your attention intentionally on the components that are important to your performance.
Make a list of the uncontrollables in your sport. Ex. the referee, the weather ……..
Knowing what you can’t control will help you become more aware of when it’s time to make a change. Next time your competing in practice, workouts, or competition start to notice if you are hung up on the uncontrollable. Are you stuck on the last play? Can you move past a bad call? Are you only thinking about how much the wind is messing up your throws?
Check in with yourself and recognize if you are focused on something unhelpful or helpful for your best performance.
2. What was the game plan?
Now that you can notice when your time, energy, and attention is on the uncontrollable, it’s important to be able to quickly shift back to focus on what is helpful for your performance. Remember the game plan. The game plan can be two things:
- The plan created by the coach before the game/practice/workout
- Your personal game plan and goals
Both of these plans are good. Great coaches often give athletes specific directions and plans for each competition. For example “We are going to focus on strong defense, protect the net, and jump on the offensive opportunities.” When you find yourself worried about the opponents’ trash talk, you can stop, remember the game plan, and get back on defense and cover your man. This same approach goes for your personal goals. You find yourself worried about the weather, you notice it, stop it by going to your game plan, and remember your personal goal of making accurate passes.
This process can be challenging and feel awkward at first. However, with practice and consistency this focus shift will become easier and even natural during the heat of competition.
3. Brief mental skills routine
If you have had to chance to learn about specific mental skills for your performance and sport, this is the time to use them! A brief routine can get you back in control. Mental skills routines are personal patterns of behavior and thoughts that an athlete uses consistently to be on top of their game. Another huge theme about routines, is that the routine itself is also controllable. A routine consists of mental skills, word phrases, or a series of breaths and stretches. You can do these routine at any time because you are not relying on anything or anyone other than yourself.
An example of a routine for a baseball pitcher could be 1) look at the catcher, 2) look down, 3) three long deep breaths, and 4) use the phrase “one pitch at a time.” This routine would be used in games and practice to be effective in allowing the pitcher to reset and put his best performance forward. As you can see mental skills routines differ from sport to sport and athlete to athlete. If you’re interested in learning more about how routines and mental skills training can improve your performance contact us!
4. Reset and go
You have now used three skills to reset yourself. Finish off the process with a deep breath, remember your plan, and hop right back into the play. The deep breath can represent you letting go of the uncontrollable. You have released it from your mind and it no longer takes away from your time, energy, or attention. You have replaced the uncontrollable with the controllable plan or routine that allows you to go back into your performance ready for the challenge.
