Yeah, but…

There are always a million reasons why NOT. Why it isn’t your fault, why the game didn’t go your way, why it’s not your responsibility, or why not to do it. A lot of those times, those reasons may absolutely be real… and they have the power to ruin you.

Not everyone can be the best in the world in any given sport. However, those who are generally share one common trait. They control what they can, and let go of what they cannot. In my recent interview with 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Kyle Shewfelt, he detailed to me the experience of the day he won his medal. How he controlled everything from where he sat on the bus, how he warmed up, even down to who he talked to. He remained in control of the entire day in order to make sure that when it came down to competition he had TRULY done everything he possibly could have in order to make sure he had the best performance of his life. The thing that struck me the most is he said that when the performance was finished, he knew he had done it. Not won the gold, but he knew that he had NAILED his routine on the world’s biggest stage, exactly as he had planned. He also said that he knew if he hadn’t won gold, there was no possible way to look back on it and say he could have done more.

This is remarkable to me personally because it just shows the love of the process. It obviously worked out well for him in this situation, but he wasn’t focused on a gold medal. He was focused on his routine. He was focused on what HE could do, and what he could affect. This allowed him to cut out outside noise and have the performance of his life. There were no excuses to be had, nothing he could have done better, and look where it got him.

My main point I hope anyone reading takes away is that anything external is not worth your worry. The MORE you can focus on what you can do, and what you can effect, the better outcomes you will be able to create both short and long term. Catch yourself using the phrase “Yeah, but…” and replace it. Replace it with the thought of what you could have done, what you could have changed, and how you will learn from this outcome and make it better next time.

If you made it to the end, thank you for reading!