High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 560: Take It One Play at a Time

Episode Date: August 24, 2023

 In this episode, Dr. Kamphoff talks about the importance of the present moment and how to experience it more often. In the present moment you can do anything you want to. In the present moment, pressure does not exist. The great thing is that you can train your present moment focus and today we talk about how.  This Week's Power Phrase: “I live in the moment. I take it one play at a time.”  This Week's Quote: “Live in the moment. Take one day at a time. One play at a time.” —Adam Thielen, Wide Receiver for the Carolina Panthers 

Hi friends, my name is Dr. Sindra Kampoff, a national leader in the field of sport and performance psychology. Every week I'm on the local radio sharing my top tips on exactly how to develop the mindset of the world's best, so you can accomplish all your dreams. Get ready for a jammed, packed episode focused on practical tips to help you get after your goals and step out of your comfort zone. Let's go. We check in with Cinder Kampoff this morning. Cinder, this morning we're talking about taking

it one play at a time. What's the quote that you start us off with? I like this quote by Adam Thielen, the wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, and he said, live in the moment, take one day at a time, one play at a time. All right, so what exactly are we talking about today? We're talking about this idea of taking it one play at a time, and right, so what exactly are we talking about today? We're talking about this idea of taking it one play at a time, and I'd like to start with Adam Thielen's story. So he grew up playing football in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, a pretty small town northern Minnesota, and just a few weeks before camp, the football coaches at Minnesota State decided to offer him a $500 scholarship to play, and that's actually where I met Adam, providing mental training for the football team. And, you know, fast forward four years after that, as he's, you know, getting

ready to graduate, the draft came and went. And the Minnesota Vikings just gave him one opportunity to attend a rookie tryout and an evaluation session. And he really took like full advantage of that opportunity. And so I interviewed Adam on my podcast, episode 63, so super early on in my podcast. And this is what he said. He said, if I would have known then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have made it. I was oblivious to how everything worked and the chances of making it into the league, especially coming from a Division II school. I just took it one drill at a time, one play at a time, and I was just living in the moment, giving it all I had, and now I'm here. And so, as most people know, he went on to play for the Vikings for 10 seasons,

is now in his first year with the Carolina Panthers. And what he said was, he just said, mindset is huge. Your mind can really do a lot for you, or it can really hurt your performance at this level. You realize it more than ever before. Okay, so you're talking about the level of professional football. How does that relate to you and me? Well, great question. So like Adam, you can really perform your best in the present moment when you take it one play at a time. And that play could be like an assignment you're working on

or the client you're serving or the conversation you're having. And so no matter the situation, the present moment is the only place your performance can really, your best performance can take place. So the present moment is the only place your performance can really, your best performance can take place. So the present moment is the only place you can experience flow, and your best performance can't happen if your mind is in the past or the future. Yeah, we've talked about flow before. I like that. You talk a little bit about how our mind can be in one of three places. Tell us about that. So what I mean is the three places are the past, present, or future. And so when we tend to focus on the past, we're more likely to experience negative emotions like anger, frustration, regret. And when we're focused on the future, we're more likely to experience emotions

like fear, anxiety, doubt, or pressure. And we're more likely to experience an outcome focus where that doesn't really lead to us being at our best over a process focus when we're in the present. So that's why we really need to continue to work to be in the present. Why is this so important for us? I think it's so important because in the present moment, that's where you can do anything you want. In the present, pressure doesn't exist. And in the present, you can be focused on the small things you need to do or the process. And the great thing is you can train, you know, your present moment focus. Ultimately, it's about two practices. First, awareness, and then the second

is choice. And how can we implement those practices into our lives? So good question. I would say first, awareness just means like being aware of your focus. And you can tell who your mind is just by noticing what you're focusing on. And so that's why, you know, this moment-to-moment observation of our thoughts is really important, just to be our best frequently. And so just notice what your mind is, you know, what's happening in the present. You could just, you know, to gain awareness, you could just ask yourself, where are my thoughts right now? Or are my thoughts in the present?

And then the second practice is just about a choice. And if your mind isn't in the present, just know that you can make the choice to bring it back to the present. You could use, you know, a keyword like focus or next play to get your attention back. And you could see, you know, in sports, for example, when there's a break, the most important play is always the next play. So you could just say next play to get your attention back to the present.

Or you could take a deep breath just to get your mind back to the present. And I think the key is, Lisa, is that everyone gets distracted. It's not a big deal. We just want to be continually reminding ourselves to be in the present and get our mind back there. Cinder, what's the power phrase for us this week? I like this one. It is, I live in the moment. I take it one play at a time.

One play at a time in our lives day to day. It does relate to us on so many levels. If people want to follow along with your work, maybe listen to the podcast number 63, the one that you referenced, where do we go? You can head over to drcindra.com, so D-R-C-I-N-D-R-A.com, and you can search for episode 63 there. And

I talk about this concept in my book, Beyond Grit, and you can find more information there too. Way to go for finishing another episode of the High Performance Mindset. I'm giving you a virtual fist pump. Holy cow, did that go by way too fast for anyone else? If you want more, remember to subscribe. And you can head over to Dr. Sindra for show notes and to join my exclusive community for high performers, where you get access to videos about mindset each week. So again, you can head over to Dr. Sindra. That's D-R-C-I-N-D-R-A.com. See you next week.