A simple four word question to take the bit out of your next slump

Sometimes in sports things go wrong.
Sometimes it’s because we’ve lost sight of what’s important to us.
Sometimes it’s because we fear failure.

However it happens, there’s a certain amount of mental misery that can occur. It can leave us feeling confused, hopeless and downright pissed off.

The questions we ask ourselves in these moments shapes everything.

Too many times I’ve seen athletes, including myself, stew on questions like, “WTF happened?” or “What’s wrong with me?” Or “How can I fix this?”

Rather than sliding down the slippery slope of negativity, I suggest taking a different approach.

Ask yourself: How is this perfect? 

If things have gone wrong...
there’s a good chance that there’s something you didn’t see.

Maybe it was something in yourself …like losing focus because your mind was dwelling on a mistake you made a minute ago.
Maybe it was something in the environment …like a distraction from the opposing team or bad weather conditions.
When things go wrong, it’s uncomfortable. It hurts. And sometimes we suffer. We instinctively put our blinders on and try to move through it as fast as possible.

But before breaking into a problem-solving sprint, it’s usually a good idea to slow down, take off your blinders and open yourself to different possibilities.

It’s worth setting some time to ponder on these sticky situations because it brings about greater self-awareness.

With awareness comes transformation, freedom and a higher level of performance.

EXERCISE: How is this perfect?
Set aside 5 minutes with a pen and paper to better understand how your situation is perfect.
This question is NOT interested in making you feel shame or faulting anybody.
This question IS interested in helping you to see what you haven’t seen before. Look at your situation and ask “How is this perfect?”

Try it now.

(It’s important, I’ll wait…)

 Now, let me ask you:
-->Did you learn something new?
-->How likely will you make the same mistake again?
-->Will you be a better player or person the next time this situation comes up?
Pretty powerful, right?

Next time when something goes wrong in sports, or in life, remember to take some time to slow down, take off your blinders and reflect on these 4 words: How is this PERFECT?