Quit Being Hard on Yourself After Mistakes pt. 1

One mistake is easy to brush off. Consecutive errors can be harder for you to shake. You might take more ownership of a game’s outcome than is realistic. Take yourself out of the equation and be a ‘scientist.’

Some athletes suggest developing a ‘goldfish memory.’ This means forgetting the last play, then focusing on the next one - this helps you stay present. However, that skill is incomplete without the ability to cope with the emotions and thoughts that compound after repeated mistakes.

No game is all about you and will, most likely, never have an outcome fully determined by you. You’re 1 of a suited-up 18, 23, 26, 46 with varied playing times and under a whole coaching staff who’s making decisions on-the-fly.

If no game is determined solely by you, why put that weight on yourself? Take the personal fable or single-character superhero story away from the game. The responsibility for a single point scored may weigh less heavily.

You’re not responsible for everything that happens in front of you and you can’t be held personally accountable for every point scored against your team. Be less self-critical when it doesn’t realistically make sense to judge yourself. It will get easier to see an error for what it is, then move on with a ‘short memory’ and fuller focus on the present.

Come back to the blog for part 2. You will learn more about being objective and ways to be less judgmental of yourself.