In sports it is important to focus. Some athletes
are easily distracted and it negatively impacts their play. It
varies case by case, due to how each person’s brain works. It’s not
negative, but each person's brain functions different in that their
are slight to drastic variations on thought, thought process,
memory, recollection and electrical activity.
If you are easily distracted it can lead to a loss
while you’re out performing in play. You could lose the ball if
you’re a basketball player or get knocked out if you’re a boxer, due
to distractions. I’ve seen athletes get distracted at key moments
during their sporting performance and it led to them making
mistakes. There are ways to keep that to a minimum and even
eliminate such thinking errors altogether. Distractions come from a
number of sources.
Much of it falls under sports psychology. Training
the brain to react correctly and to keep your nerves calm. When the
adrenalin is pumping and you’re in the zone, don’t start thinking
about things going on in your business or personal life. If you
catch yourself doing that while in play, snap out of it immediately
and focus on the task at hand. Focus on one thing, winning.
Learn to tune out everything and everyone else
except your opponent and your goal of scoring a victory. Keep the
issues in your personal life to a minimum and under control. A pro-athlete has a lawyer, accountant, manager, agent and publicist for a
reason. Supervise them and have the final say in everything
regarding your career, but at the same time, let them handle your
business to free up your time and mind to focus on winning. A clear,
calm mind is a great asset in winning.
TIPS
In your spare time, do brain training exercises.
There are fun books for grown ups with puzzles and memory exercises
to complete using a pen or pencil. It may seem trivial, but it
trains the brain to focus and it also helps with
memory/recollection. A sharp memory improves focus. Improving your
memory and recollection abilities is also useful while in
competitive play, as it aides in recalling what you learned in
training.
Don't lose focus. When you find your mind drifting
off in a daydream or worrying about your problems during training
and in actual competitive play regarding your sport, immediately
snap out of it. Do not let your mind wander. Do not start thinking
about your finances, problems in your personal life or anything else
other than defeating your opponent in front of you. Tune out all the
distractions.
Train your brain to visualize the win. When you can
see something in your mind clearly, it becomes that much easier to
achieve the goal. It gives you motivation in something to strive
for. In your mind, see your opponent as defeated and make it happen.
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