Selling Boldly

22Focus on What You Can Control

Sports Are Like Sales

During interviews, professional athletes often talk about focusing on what they can control. You might hear them say, “I can't worry about things other people are doing.” Or, “I just focus on myself, put in the work, and the results will take care of themselves.”

Many professional athletes repeat this because their coaches and sports psychologists drill it into their minds.

In baseball, batters focus on their swing mechanics. Can they move their hands through the strike zone faster? Are their hips positioned correctly? Should they choke up on the bat? Are they stepping with their front foot the right way?

What the batter cannot control, however, is where the ball will go. Whether it flies into a gap on the field for a hit, or directly at a defender for an out, the outcome is beyond the player's control, so he tries to not worry about it.

In golf, it's the same process: focus on your swing. Consistency is key, the same swing every time. A nice, smooth motion. Keep the head as still as possible. (If this sounds like I don't golf, it's because I don't! But I've heard friends and clients talking about it.)

Athletes focus on their diet, because they can control it. But whether the coach plays them or not is outside of their purview. They focus on getting enough rest and plenty of sleep, because that's up to them. But they can't control whether they will start the next game or whether they will be traded, so they will tell you ...