Looking Too Far Ahead? How Staying in the Moment Helps You Lead and Perform

Mindset Made Simple Tip #261  Friday's episode is a good one.  Check it out! 

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The past week has been one that teaches you more than you ever signed up for. My dad was admitted to the ICU, and we quickly found ourselves riding a relentless roller coaster of uncertainty, one minute hearing, “We're not sure he’s going to make it,” the next feeling a rush of hope with, “He’s heading in the right direction,” only to land somewhere in between with, “Things look better, but he’s in end-stage heart failure.”

In the midst of all this, it hit me again, vividly: When uncertainty is high, looking too far ahead isn’t helpful!!

This is a lesson that leaders, coaches, and athletes alike can all apply, and perhaps one of the hardest to follow. The human brain craves certainty; it tries to predict outcomes to keep us safe.

But when we’re too focused on a distant future, whether it’s an end-of-season championship, a career goal or even navigating a serious illness, it can become mentally paralyzing. Our attention scatters, anxiety spikes and our decision-making suffers.

We’ve all done it.

We fast-forward, to the final score, to the championship, to next month’s tough stretch, or to every possible scenario we can’t control. We try to solve everything at once. We get ahead of ourselves… and we start to spin out.

And that’s exactly what athletes do under pressure…It’s what coaches do when facing tough calls…It’s what leaders do when the future is uncertain or when they’re trying to control too many outcomes at once.

Here’s the conundrum: Planning is good. But presence wins the moment.

Let’s be clear…planning matters. We should think ahead (we have to!). We should anticipate and prepare (we have to!). But when it’s time to perform, or time to make a decision, there is only one place you can operate from: right here, right now.

As psychiatrist Dr. Jud Brewer puts it, when we try to “future-trip”, constantly projecting into what might happen, we increase anxiety, reduce focus and perform below our capabilities.

That’s because “what-if” thinking activates the brain’s default mode network, the region tied to mental time travel and rumination, not the present-moment awareness needed for deliberate action.

It’s no wonder the most clutch athletes, the most composed leaders and the most grounded humans do one thing really well: They focus on their next move.

Here’s what the research (and experience) says about the power of focusing forward, but not too far forward!

Cognitive science tells us that “chunking”, breaking tasks into smaller pieces, makes learning and performance more efficient, especially under pressure. Think: “Win the inning.” “One pitch at a time.” “What’s the next play?” Or breaking your workouts up into three 15-minute segments, like

I do, just to make it seem easier.

A study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience found that when people anticipate large, complex sequences, their accuracy and speed decline. But when they focus on one step at a time, performance improves dramatically.

Why? Because future-focused thinking activates anxiety, shifting attention from the sensory and motor systems needed for performance to prefrontal regions involved in worry and self-monitoring.

In short: we start thinking instead of doing.

So, when things feel overwhelming, we can chunk the challenge. Ask: “What’s our job in the next 5 minutes… or 5 seconds?”

Outcome goals (winning the game, getting the job, fixing the problem) are great for long-term vision. However, in high-pressure situations, we need to shift our focus to process goals, the controllable actions we can take next.

Dr. Robert Weinberg’s work in sport psychology confirms this: athletes who focus on the how rather than the what tend to maintain better composure, attentional control, and performance consistency. Our minds will race to the future, but we don’t have to follow them.

We can create quick reminders of controllables like “breathe,” “compete,” “connect with the ball,” or “reset and respond” to keep us on the process…and away from what might happen!

Another great strategy was developed by military strategist John Boyd developed the OODA Loop, Observe, Orient, Decide, Act, to help fighter pilots make split-second decisions in volatile situations.

The key? You don’t go from Observe to Outcome. You focus on the next right action, based on the current data.

This model works in sports, coaching, parenting and crisis. We can ask ourselves: What do I see? How does this relate to where I am and what I am doing and what matters most now? What’s the next best decision? Then… act.

If you watch peak performers across disciplines, from surgeons to quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, you’ll see they train to narrow their focus to what’s right in front of them.

Why? Because attention is a limited resource. And spreading it too thin, especially into the future, depletes performance…and it can make us miserable!!

Harvard research shows that a wandering mind (future-tripping or ruminating) is directly correlated with lower levels of happiness and engagement.

Here’s the truth. We can’t control the emotional roller coaster (boy, do I wish I could right now!). But we can train how you ride it.

This week has reminded me that the most important thing is often right in front of us, and we miss it when we’re stuck trying to control the ending.

Whether you’re coaching a team, leading a business or standing beside a hospital bed, don’t try to win the whole game in one play. Just do the next thing well. Then the next. Then the next.

That’s how we win the moment. That’s how we build peace in the middle of pressure.

If this message hit home, forward it to a fellow coach, leader or teammate who’s walking through something hard.

I hope it helps them manage the moments!

Julie

P.S. A new academic year is about to begin. Let’s get your team tuned up for the year. Choose a 3-session plan or one that lasts all year! Shoot me an email or text – juliej@ssbperformance.com or 234-206-0946

Julie Jones

Mental Performance Coach

SSB Performance

www.ssbperformance.com

juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946

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