When Athletes Think Too Much About the Past and Future
Thinking about the future and reflecting on the past is normally a healthy planning activity. However, when everything you do in the present is all about finding happiness in the future or past there is a problem.
This is because true happiness is only available in the present moment. Therefore, if you are always thinking about past success or future goals, then the present moment fades away. The present simply becomes a burden.
This is especially dangerous for athletes. When everything an athlete does in the present is for making them happy in the future, happiness becomes a dream and never a reality. Even once an athlete achieves their goals, they find it hard to be happy in that moment because their present moment then turns to thinking about their past success.
This can be torture, but it’s even worse when an athlete does not achieve their goal. The athlete looks back on all those years of training and competing as a waste of time. Which is just not true. Unfortunately, once your mindset is stuck on this nothing else matters.
If you are a parent of a young athlete, you must teach them to enjoy each moment to the fullest. As you already know, it’s hard for adults to center their mind to enjoy the moment, so it’s even harder for young athletes. However, it’s in the present moment where we all must find reason to celebrate, learn, and grow.