by Garret Kramer
In this blog post I want to talk about a common habit among many of the successful athletes that we are lucky enough to work with here at Inner Sports…. When things are going well on the field of play, we often don’t hear from them. When things are going poorly, they constantly touch base. And while on the surface this tendency might seem to make sense, and is the accepted practice of many performance coaches and sports psychologists, it is truly unproductive on several fronts.
Your performance on the field and your life, are not one in the same.
First, an athlete must understand that it is absolutely impossible for their level of well being to be affected by the current state of their career, as defined by the outside world. That is, your batting average, free throw percentage, current point streak, or even physical condition, has no ability to regulate your level of happiness or self worth. The fact that a player would reach out when he or she is not scoring goals for example, is a sign that (while it is certainly admirable to want to pick up the scoring) external circumstances and not inner wisdom are running the show. I often instruct players who are blurring this line that we don’t need to work on ways to perform better; we need to develop an understanding of how the mind and life are truly designed in the first place. In other words, why learn to cope with limitations, when you can understand the principles behind not being encumbered at all? Now, am not saying that a player should ever be pleased about striking out, missing an open net, or being hurt. I am saying however, that your performance on the field and your life are not one in the same. And until this truth is deeply uncovered and understood; a player will never live up to his or her potential in either department.
Far too many athletes buy into the myth that until performance suffers…keep all the same.
In addition, I often caution players about falling into the external, and all too common, trap of superstition. Again, far too many athletes buy into the myth that until performance suffers… keep all the same. To the contrary, the real secret is to continually deepen one’s understanding of the principles behind performance, and in turn allow consciousness to grow. Here, a player is so absorbed in the flow of the game or life that not scoring doesn’t even look like a setback or problem, and in turn no external “fix” is ever required. Remember too that deepening ones understanding need not be forced. For when an insight about our work together unexpectedly comes over an athlete, then we both know that we are really getting somewhere.
At Inner Sports we simply advise athletes to look deeper than the scoreboard, and thus allow amazing feats to unfold on and off of the field.
Lastly, in case you’re not quite sure where I am coming from, let’s go beyond the joy or sorrow, win or loss, to paint a clear picture of what the above understanding looks like. Everything that occurs “out there,” every failure, every loss, every missed point or even injury, occurs to illuminate your path, not to obscure it…just ask Drew Brees. In Arabic for instance, the word for problem is translated as “another view.” Hence, when faced with an apparent predicament, your calling is to look inward and allow yourself to uncover its true source and meaning. So too with apparent joys or successes. When we understand that external victories have no influence over internal contentment, we see that winning also obscures a deeper message, and we need not be tempted by the ego’s willingness to settle for second best. At Inner Sports we simply advise athletes to look deeper than the scoreboard, and thus allow amazing feats to unfold on and off of the field. Therefore, I fondly suggest that players remember that yes, we are always here to help. But you will have a far greater chance of finding enduring happiness and success, if it is your current state of mind that leads to the call to us…..not the current state of the score sheet.