Counterpoint: Focus is NOT Good When You Focus on the Outcome
One of the big reasons I never reached the best version of myself as a college athlete was focus. It’s not that I didn’t have focus, it’s that I was focusing on the wrong things.
My big mistake was that my focus was always on outcomes. Things such as where I was on the depth chart, did I make the game day or travel squad that week, or if I was practicing with the A-team or the scout team. These were all things that made me feel better when the outcome was what I wanted. But my improvement as an athlete had nothing to do with any of these outcomes.
If I could do it again knowing what I know now, my focus would have been on what I needed to do in the present moment. Reaching my potential was dependent on my day-to-day execution of the task at hand. Not comparing myself to others. I should have been focused on studying film, hitting the weight room hard, and increasing my speed and conditioning.
If I put all my mental energy into those tasks, the outcomes I wanted would have taken care of themselves. This is the lesson.
Focus on tasks not outcomes. Focus on the present not the past or the future. Additionally, focus on competing with yourself not competing with others.