W.I.N. - Falling in Love with the Process

There is a common perception of athletes often being hell bent on results, wins, and accolades. The culture around sports especially in media has tied this false idea of success to outcomes. If you scroll on social media and there is a debate about “x” being a better athlete than “y”, the argument almost always comes down to who has more and/or better accolades. However, those who are true admirers of the game can separate the player from their accolades to analyze the true skill.

As a result of this toxic sports culture, many younger athletes can easily fall into the trap about what it means to be good at their sport. Being misled by the masses has caused a shift in mindset from reaping the fruits of labor, to wanting instant gratification/results. This ideal feeds into the phenomena of process vs content in sports. Content is what you achieve (outcome), while process are the steps taken to achieve the outcome. It is easier for many athletes to look at the outcome and hyper fixate on it which can lead to performance anxiety, poor performance, etc. Which is why shifting the focus to the process rather than the outcome can provide an important mental edge.

Back in my playing days, something that one of my basketball coaches said stuck with me until this day. It is something that I use in day-to-day life, helping me to stay grounded. He preached this idea of W.I.N. - ‘What’s Important Now’. Although this is a small framework, when you peel back the layers it is a fruitful thing to hold onto to. In terms of making it applicable, focusing on the process or W.I.N. helps to provide more clarity in multiple aspects:

Anxiety reduction: Fostering an understanding of what is in your control vs. out of your control.

Valuing a growth mindset: Embracing challenges and understanding that mistakes are a part of the process. They do not define you. And you can learn from the mistakes while giving yourself grace.

Refining the process: Understanding that although outcomes are not 100% predictable, your approach and work ethic should not change. By having this work ethic you can improve your consistency over a sustained time period.

It is important to know that everyone’s process looks different. Taking to reflect and analyze what works well or needs to be adjusted can help foster a deeper understanding of what this approach looks like for you.

Demond Washington, MA.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Demond Washington, MA. or one of our other providers call 510-981-1471 or email admin@endurancecenter.org

Demond Washington, MA. is a psychology trainee who provides sports psychology and clinical psychology services at Endurance - A Sports and Psychology Center, Inc. He is supervised by Dr. Cory Nyamora, a licensed psychologist and endurance sports coach. Dr. Nyamora is the founder and director of Endurance – A Sports & Psychology Center, Inc., a company that provides psychological services and sports training and travel to people of all ages. Endurance staff provide therapy, training and workshops for organizations and athletes on topics related to the intersections of sports, performance, mental health and overall wellness. Find out more at www.endurancecenter.org or call 510.981.1471.