How do you stay focused?

Distractions happen—in games, in practice.
That’s not the problem.

The problem is the meaning we give them.
We think:
– I don’t care.
– Something’s wrong with me.

Stress and distractions show up.
The mistake? Trying to eliminate them.

When we can’t, we blame ourselves.

An athlete told me his coach said before a state championship game:
“Don’t focus on the fact that the whole state is against us.”

Guess where their focus went?
Avoidance turned into fixation—on something they couldn’t control.
It didn’t work.

Distractions pull us in when we’re bored, uncomfortable, or off.
We search for the one thought to make it all go away.
That’s avoidance in disguise.

Refocus instead.
✔ Do a mental reset. It’s competition—it’s safe to set thoughts aside.
✔ Use imagery. Visualize putting the distraction away.
✔ Use the 90-second rule. If you can’t take action in 90 seconds to fix it—let it go.
✔ Accept that distractions are human.
✔ Reboot. Use your five senses to reconnect with the moment.
✔ Write down how you’ll refocus. Then practice it, no matter the circumstances.

Let’s change the conversation about mental fitness.