You can’t succeed unless you stay present.
An athlete can’t hope to make this current play if they’re fixated on what they’ll do after the game or replaying the bucket they scored last time down the court.
They must be fully present in today in order to be at their best – and so do we.
It’s a challenge to stay present. Distractions run rampant. Our mind wants to run to the past or perhaps the future. And if you’re like me, certain things (good or bad) can get stuck in your thoughts, taking you out of the place you are right now.
So try this:
1. Focus on your breathing. I use the box-technique (4 seconds in, hold for 4 seconds, 4 seconds out, hold for 4 seconds) and focus on it to try and recenter my thoughts back to now. It helps by slowing my heartrate and taking my focus off of everything else and back onto my breathing.
2. Ask yourself “What can I do right now to improve my situation? If you’re stressing about an unknown “what if” of tomorrow, look at one action step you can take right now to improve your positioning tomorrow. Lock into the most immediate step you can take.
3. Practice gratitude. As Dr. Gabana shared on my podcast, you don’t have to feel grateful to practice being grateful. It’s an action more than it is a feeling. When struggling to stay present, pick out something/someone you’re grateful for and focus on them. This small practice helps get our focus off of the things outside of our control (past, future, uncontrollables) and shifts our perspective back into what we do have here in the present.
Champions understand they must be where their feet are to perform at their best. Sales meeting, championship football game, dinner with a spouse – the most important moments in life require us to be in them mentally & physically.