FLUSH-IT ROUTINE
Do you know anyone that has a 1.000 batting average? How about an ERA of 0.00? I’m guessing not. Why does that matter? It means that nobody is perfect, and no matter how talented you are you’re going to have to overcome mistakes (miss-takes), failure and adversity.
You’ve probably heard a coach, teammate, or even pro ball players or announcers on TV talk about players that have a “short memory”. What does it mean to have a short memory?
Having a short memory means that once has a mistake has been made, great athletes are able to quickly move on, get back to the present-moment, and put themselves in the right mindset to tackle the *next* challenge. They aren’t thinking about what just happened or what could happen in the future.
Ok, now what’s a practical way to help you develop a short memory? One way of helping you overcome mistakes is to apply the Flush-It Routine. The more you practice this the better you will get at it.
Whenever you’ve made a mistake or didn’t execute the way you would have liked, practice this easy process to get yourself back to a ‘green light’ mentality..
1. You made a mistake or fell short
Start by knowing this WILL happen and you will not succeed all the time. Give yourself permission to make mistakes and fall, we all do it. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s ok to feel upset in the moment but don’t dwell on it because you’re going to need to quickly move on to the next step.
2. Take a Big League Breath, this will help you to reset and refocus, and control your emotions
A slow, meaningful breath is your ticket to the present-moment and is the quickest way to go from a highly frustrated and emotional state, to a grounded, present, calm confidence state. Utilizing your breath will also slow the game and your mind down and help you gain self-control.
3. Quickly go back to the error or ‘miss-take’ and think about what you could have done differently
Maybe you chased a pitch out of the zone, gave up a home run on a hanging curve, or let a ball go through your legs in the field. Ask yourself, “If I was at my best, what would I have done differently?”
4. Replay yourself executing successfully in your mind
This is key! You want to envision and replay yourself executing the same play or situation successfully in your mind. This is how you turn everything that happens to you into fuel for growth. Positive visualization goes a long way to giving you confidence to execute because you’ve “been there before” and will help you forget the original mistake.
5. Flush it away and get back to the present-moment with a clear mind
Now that you’ve done the work to let go of your emotional response, identified your mistake and visualized yourself overcoming the mistake it’s time to flush it! Picture a toilet and you flushing it down the toilet
Being able to overcome adversity and maintain a consistent, level approach regardless of the situation will set you apart and put you on the path to sustainable success. I highly recommend that you begin to practice following this flush it routine when you inevitably make a mistake in the future so that you can compete with all you’ve got, every.single.pitch.
