067 | Control the Controllables (Part 1): 3 Keys to Beating Frustration in Basketball

What I discovered from focusing on being selfless is that shifting my focus on what I could control actually helped me on the basketball court.

Not only did it help me stay positive, but it also helped me actually play better and therefore, actually enjoy the game.

And sure, the reality of everything was still there, but that was the big lesson.

I shifted my focus simply because I knew that this one word was what my focus needed to be that year, and the result of that was truly enjoying myself and having fun again.

I hear players talk about this all the time, about times where they have lost their joy, so I wonder if that's you, if you have experienced this as well.

Have you ever experienced this type of frustration? Have you ever had a game or even an entire season where you felt frustrated with your performance, your role, your coach, or your playing time? Maybe you found yourself thinking things like, "Why am I not playing more? Why can't I make a shot today? Why does my coach keep doing this? Why am I not getting the opportunities I deserve? Why does it seem like everyone else is getting better opportunities than me?" Well, let me ask you this question.

What happened to your attitude when those questions were consuming your mind? If you're anything like me, and you've experienced anything like my story, then I would say it probably [laughs] resulted in a negative attitude and- Not really enjoying playing basketball, right? But like I said, I had a mindset focus that season, and it was super powerful.

So the solution that I have for you today is to stop allowing those questions to consume your mind, to stop focusing on all those things, the wrong things, and instead control the controllables.

Because the real problem is that you're giving too much attention to things you can't control.

So we're gonna break this down really straightforward and simple for you today.

I want you to think of these three keys when you actually ask the question of, "Okay, how do I control the controllables?" So number one, look outside yourself when things don't go your way.

One of the best ways to get out of your own head is to look outside yourself.

Instead of constantly thinking about your performance, your minutes, your stats, or your frustrations, start asking questions like these: How can I help my team right now? How might my teammates be feeling, or how might the situation be affecting them? Who can I support or give encouragement to in this moment? These simple questions shift your focus from me to we.

And again, yes, this all comes from that one word of being selfless.

This is what I naturally started doing because of my one word, and then from there, I realized that this was helping me get out of my head.

But not only that, it was actually helping me create a more positive and fun team environment, and it was helping me become a more resilient player, which is massive.

Like, that is such an important part of having success in basketball.

And the second key of how you control the controllables is focus on what you can do, not what you can't.