“Evaluate wins and losses objectively, focusing more on effort and execution than on the outcome of the game.” Morgan Wootten

It is easy to think that what you need to attain extraordinary success is to focus on results and use these results to measure your progress. However, such application of a principle is far from optimal.

Focusing on results puts you in partial control of whether you reach your goal or not.

When you start focusing your attention and energy less on the results and more on the processes you discover that you learn faster, are more successful and even happier at the outcome.

Altogether you gain more when you focus on the process instead of the outcome.

How to Focus on Process Over Outcome

Don’t pursue the results directly. Focus on the process with diligence, and let the outcome take care of itself.

Stop worrying about what others think of your performance. View disappointments and setbacks as a learning curve.

Choose for yourself how to rate your mental game performance. Rate yourself based on the effort, not the outcome.

Don’t try to win today, try to become a winner.

Be happier when your best effort results in defeat than when a weak effort results in victory.

Determine what your best effort would look like, and then make it happen.

Bring awareness to your mental game performance, so you can learn to identify when bad results follow good processes, and vice-versa.

With practice, you will build the basketball mental toughness to avoid undermining yourself when the results are not good, but your technique was.

Importance of Goal Setting

Having goals is one of the most fundamental principles for success in basketball. If you know what you’re aiming for, it’s easier to create routines and habits to help you achieve it.

Research on basketball psychology suggests that goal setting is closely tied to increased motivation and performance.

According to the sports psychologist, Frank L. Smoll, effective goal setting should conform to the following criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

The next step in developing prime focus is to create a pre-game routine.

The goal is the same, to be prepared to perform your best. The difference is that a pre-game routine will dictate how you perform in your competition. With that in mind, you want to plan your pre-game routine so that when you begin a game, you have prime focus and intensity.

Lastly, remember, pre-game routines only have value if they’re used consistently.

If you use your pre-game routine before every competition, in time, you will feel the flow of your game. It will ensure that you are prepared to perform your best and achieve the best results.

Being able to focus is a mindset skill that doesn’t just happen by chance; you must work at it.

It requires specific strategies; and you can find these strategies are in my workbook – An

Athlete’s Guide to Peak Performance Series– Focus Like A Champion. Forward by Dallas Cowboy Legend – Eugene Lockhart – The Hitting Machine.

*Go to www.sportspsychologybasketball.com. Click products and get started improving your Mental Game in Basketball.