Athletes Must Know How Intention, Attention, and Distraction are Linked
In order to achieve peak performance, athletes must understand the connection between intention, attention, and distraction.
- Intention: A determination to act in a certain way for the purpose of pursuing a goal that is set in advance.
- Attention: The act or state of applying the mind to something specific
- Distraction: Something that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else.
As Susan A. Jackson, PhD points out in the book Flow in Sports, these three words are inextricably linked:
…clarity of intention helps to focus attention and avoid distraction.
In other words, when an athlete doesn’t have specific goals set with intention, they don’t have anything to put their attention on when training and competing. As a result of not having focus for their attention, they are vulnerable to distractions.
This is critical, as our world has more distractions today than ever. Many of us wake up in the morning with distractions in the palm of our hand and in our pocket throughout the day. This is why educating athletes on the connection between these three words is so important.