{"id":8112,"date":"2017-04-20T16:56:23","date_gmt":"2017-04-20T16:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=8112"},"modified":"2025-06-10T03:11:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T07:11:28","slug":"how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck\/","title":{"rendered":"How Over Generalizations Keep Athletes Stuck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8114\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/present-fpcus.jpg\" alt=\"Present Focus\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/present-fpcus.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/present-fpcus-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Focus_in_The_Moment\"><\/span>How to Focus in The Moment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck\/#How_to_Focus_in_The_Moment\" >How to Focus in The Moment<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck\/#How_do_you_focus_in_the_moment\" >How do you focus in the moment?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck\/#Try_This_for_Focusing_in_the_Present\" >Try This for Focusing in the Present<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck\/#The_Focused_Athlete\" >The Focused Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s very easy for athletes to dwell on the past and carry it into the present, especially if their performance was not ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When athletes dwell on past performances, they tend to feel less <strong>confident.<\/strong> They also worry that the same mistakes will repeat themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are <strong>focused<\/strong> on the past, your ability to <strong>focus<\/strong> in the moment becomes split between what you are doing now and what just happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you don&#8217;t have 100% focus in the present moment, you hurt you ability to perform at your peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for many athletes, they tend to think that the past will repeat itself, which I call an over <strong>generalization&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a baseball player strikes out with the bases loaded, does that mean that player will strike out every time he steps to the plate with three runners on base?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When a gymnast misses the landing on the beam, does that guarantee that every future landing will be messed up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a golfer leaves a five-foot putt inches short of the cup, will that golfer forever miss every short-range putt?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These <strong>over generalizations<\/strong> in your thinking will keep you stuck in a rut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_focus_in_the_moment\"><\/span>How do you focus in the moment?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You need to expose these thoughts for what they truly are&#8230; falsehoods. The past has little impact over your present performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You must realize every competition is a new challenge. You can learn from the past but this current competition is the only one that matters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You need to develop the mental skill needed to let go of the past and focus your attention and energies in the present moment.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Basketball star LeBron James believes the Cleveland Cavaliers are ready to defend their NBA title as the postseason, or new season, commences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cavaliers have gone through tough times during the regular season: key injuries, lack of cohesive play, negativity as well as a four-game losing streak to close out the regular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James has preached to his team about the power of <strong>focusing<\/strong> on the task at hand and insists that his mind is solely <strong>focused<\/strong> on the challenge of the here and now, the Indiana Pacers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>JAMES:<\/strong> <em>&#8220;I&#8217;m not going to harp on about what happened in the regular season through injuries, through good wins, through bad losses&#8230; At the end of the day I can\u2019t have my mind focused on the past right now. The present is the only thing that matters.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your head is stuck in the past, you are hurting your ability to be <strong>successful<\/strong> on the court, field, track or gym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Try_This_for_Focusing_in_the_Present\"><\/span>Try This for Focusing in the Present<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focus<\/strong> on the bull\u2019s eye: The bull\u2019s eye is your role in the game. Define what&#8217;s the most important performance cues for your position or role.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stop judging and assessing your past performance or mistakes. Quickly recognize you are thinking about the past, and refocus on the current play, run, or shot.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-athlete-cd-program\/\"><strong>Get more strategies to improve your focus in competition with The Focused Athlete Audio program.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-refocus-after-making-mistakes\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-who-are-stuck-in-a-training-mindset\/\"><strong>Athletes Who Are Stuck in a Training Mindset<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/refocus-quickly-when-distracted\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/are-you-stuck-in-the-yips-cycle\/\"><strong>Are You Stuck In The Yips Cycle?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-prevent-mental-mistakes-during-competition\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-overcome-negative-beliefs\/\"><strong>How to Overcome Negative Beliefs That Keep Athletes Stuck<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Focused_Athlete\"><\/span>The Focused Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/focused-athlete-teams-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3922\" style=\"width:215px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s probably no secret that you have many opportunities<strong> to become distracted<\/strong> in sports. Athletes are bombarded with both internal and external distractions everyday in practice and competition. <strong>Focused athletes<\/strong> are able to get the most from their skills because they are more efficient with practice and more concentrated in competition. Athletes who lack focus <strong>let distractions run wild through their mind and don\u2019t know how to adjust or refocus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Focused Athlete was developed for any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve concentration\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Focused Athlete\u201d is a complete system to teach you how to focus like a champion and harness the power of a zone focus every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course in practice and games!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-769fef19\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-68fab510 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-3043572a gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-focused-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Focus in The Moment It&#8217;s very easy for athletes to dwell on the past and carry it into the present, especially if their performance was not ideal. When athletes dwell on past performances, they tend to feel less confident. They also worry that the same mistakes will repeat themselves. When you are focused on the past, &#8230; <a title=\"How Over Generalizations Keep Athletes Stuck\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-over-generalizations-keep-athletes-stuck\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Over Generalizations Keep Athletes Stuck\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[324,622],"class_list":["post-8112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-focus-in-sports","tag-mental-toughtness-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When athletes dwell on past performances, they tend to lose confidence. 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