Focus Friday: Process Over Results
Welcome to Focus Friday from Mental Flex! Whether you’re gearing up for a tournament, match, or showdown this weekend, we’ve got the mental strategies and competitive edge you need to crush it.
Trust The Process (No, Seriously)
Let’s face it: we want to compete; we're wired for it. A lot of athletes get laser-focused on the results and the outcomes and, in the process, lose complete track of the process required to compete at a high level.
Our pre-competition nerves are that fight-or-flight response that tells us we're going into battle, despite not being a life-or-death situation. Make no mistake though, the best athletes know what really matters: the process.
One of the best and most common skills I use to help athletes prepare for competition is this: “If this happens, then I’m going to do ___. If that happens, then I will do ___.” By thinking in terms of “if-then” scenarios, you start to prepare yourself through the process of what you’re going to do to be successful.
This approach leverages the brain’s capacity for anticipatory adaptation, neural priming, and emotional regulation, which have all been shown to increase your performance under pressure. You can follow the facts here; study after study shows that by preparing yourself, you reduce the decision fatigue (i.e., paralysis by analysis) you feel when going into competition.
If you want to help reduce your anxiety before competition, try these three things:
🧠 1. Pre-Wire Your Brain with "If-Then" Scripts
How to apply: Write down 3 specific “If [obstacle], then [action]” scenarios before competing (e.g., “If I start slow, I’ll focus on my breathing for 10 seconds”). Research shows this primes your brain to automate solutions under stress, cutting decision fatigue and freeing mental bandwidth for execution.
🛡️ 2. Simulate Chaos in Training
How to apply: Add “chaos drills” to your preparation to stay prepared. Replicate competition stressors (e.g., loud crowd noise, equipment malfunctions, a cheating opponent) and practice those responses you just came up with. Study after study proves that athletes who train in unpredictable environments adapt faster mid-competition—like a kicker making that field goal with the crowd roaring in their ear.
⚡ 3. Trust Your Contingency Plan (Not Perfection)
How to apply: Replace outcome goals (“I must win”) with measurable process goals (“I’ll hit at least two shots to his backhand every single point”). Neuroscience shows us that focusing on what you can control (attitude, concentration, effort) lowers the amount of stress you experience and gives you a better chance of performing at an elite level. The best marathoners use this to stay calm even when the weather, their opponents, or anything else messes up their original race plan🏆
So go out, focus on the process, and prepare yourself for what comes next!
- Trevor Conner, Founder of Hearts & Minds
Want to up your mental game? Book a free 1:1 call with Trevor, our founder, below!
