Where Focus Lies
“Be where your feet are.”
There is an infinite number of items to focus on during sport and in daily life. With constant changes, responsibilities, stressors, requests, and tasks, the mind tends to bounce around different thoughts, feelings, opinions, and perspectives for the entirety of the day. A lot of the time, our mind wanders away from the task at hand, and we become distracted whether it is realized or not. Have you ever driven somewhere just to realize that you weren’t focused on the drive at all? Instead of thinking about the next jump, the rider may instead be worrying about getting an imperfect distance, noticing who may be watching them, or even wondering about what they’re going to eat for dinner later. As circumstances change throughout performance, it is important that our focus matches those new conditions. Otherwise, the distracting thoughts will reign over the thoughts that are necessary for a successful performance. Performance cannot be expected to flourish if the athlete’s focus lies anywhere but there.
To properly focus is to remain in the present moment. There is no thinking about past or future events, only remaining in the here and now. Neither the jump that just happened nor the last jump of the course is focused on, only the jump straight ahead is thought about. To be where your feet are is to be fully connected to what is happening at this very second, such as reading each word in this article rather than thinking of another topic. Since our minds shift very quickly, we need a level of self-awareness to notice exactly where our focus lies. First being able to notice our focus will then allow us the ability to change it when needed. The goal is to stay in the present moment rather than anywhere else. As focus begins to shift away from the present moment, it should be brought back to the here and now. When placed on paper, this sounds very simple, but it takes much effort and practice to be able to both notice and shift one’s focus.
Since the brain can only focus on one item at a time, focus becomes critical during sport performance. Although an irrelevant, fleeting thought is noticed, it could potentially be the reason behind a mistake that could change the whole game. If focus does not lie in the present moment and on the task at hand, then attention is diverted away from what needs to be focused on to perform well. Irrelevant thoughts captured during immediate performance lower the potential for a successful performance. If a rider is worrying about getting an imperfect distance to a jump rather than focusing on what they need to do to meet the jump well, then they will very likely make an error. It is important for athletes to decipher between relevant and irrelevant thoughts that occur before, during, and after performance. The correct focus will warrant a high likelihood of a successful performance, while an incorrect focus increases the likelihood of mistakes. Remaining in the present moment allows athletes to be connected to their performance and able to make proper adjustments as they arise.
Where does your focus typically lie? Are you committed to staying in the present moment, or does your mind tend to wander? Focus is an extremely important factor for attaining successful performances, and it can separate a win from a loss during competition. Take this week to notice your focus and remain in the present moment. If you would like to work on this important performance aspect, please reach out!
