Be Where Your Feet Are
Life can be challenging at times; we all experience stress, anxiety, and pressure. We constantly worry about what others think, what might happen, what already happened, and what’s happening right now. This probably sounds familiar to you, at least some of it. The good news is that all of these feelings and emotions don’t have to consume you.
The first step in taking control of these feelings is exploring their origin. In my work, I find that for most people a lot of their stress, anxiety, and unhelpful self-talk comes from two types of focus:
There can be value in reflecting on the past, or planning for the future. Reflecting on the past allows us to learn from our experiences, so we can continue to do the things that facilitate performance, and eliminate the things that don’t. Planning for the future can give us an idea of what we’re working towards, and a sense of direction to achieve it.
The most crucial type of focus to maintain when performing is a present focus.
The thing is, we tend to spend a lot of time and energy focusing on the uncontrollable aspects of the past or the future. Sometimes we allow ourselves to get stuck or dwell in the emotions and occurrences of past experiences (embarrassment for example), or the outcome of the future (winning for example).
There is a time and place to focus on the past or future, and that time is not when a high level performance is needed. Reflecting on past performances (i.e. post performance reflection identifying what went well, what can be improved and how), or planning for future ones (i.e. learning past experiences to prepare for future experiences), is best when it takes place outside of competition - like the next day once we’ve had a chance to digest all that took place.
We do have control over how we react and what we learn from the past, and how we use that feedback to influence the future. The key is learning from our experiences, and applying that learning in the present, so we can influence the future. In my work with athletes, I like to implement a reflection process that allows them to embrace this approach. We identify what went well, what can be repeated, what can be improved, what needs to be eliminated, and then work to move forward. This exercise helps us view each experience as a learning opportunity and is something that can be implemented into your everyday life. Give it a try!
When too much focus is placed on the past or future, it inhibits our ability to really be present in the now - which impacts our ability to perform the way we want. This is because our mind cannot fully be two places at once, so if it’s in the past or in the future, it cannot truly be in the now where we have the most control over our actions, reactions, and responses.
Be Where Your Feet Are is a simple phrase that is a favorite of mine, and one I use with clients regularly. Your feet quite literally can only be in the present moment, not in the past or future. We can certainly learn from the past, and use that information to inform, prepare, and influence the future, but we cannot physically be in the past or future. So reminding yourself to focus on where your feet are (literally) can prove to be a crucial focusing tool to allow you to perform the way you want.
To learn more about how to apply Be Where Your Feet Are to your own life, head over to Mind Fit Performance to get started!
