What if you were so focused, you missed the finish line?
That's what happened yesterday for Lewis Hamilton as he won a record-setting Formula 1 race in Barcelona - kind of. As he took the checkered flag and his team was celebrating on the radio, his initial response was a bit surprising - "I didn't even realize it was the last lap!".
The Pressure of Elite Performance
I don’t think I’ve ever heard an athlete, let alone someone who just won a significant event, respond that way. Think about it for a moment. Nevermind the pressure of driving a multi-million dollar race car at nearly 200 mph for 2 hours straight (although that does sound kind of fun too) against 19 of the best drivers in the world, but he led the entire race from start to finish, and added to that he was pursuing history with the win to become the F1 driver with the most podiums ever...and he still didn’t even realize he won the race!
The Trap of the Finish Line
What happens for many of us is that we get so fixated on the finish line that we build unnecessary pressure or even burnout before we get there. Or if we do get there, we collapse shortly after - that’s been my challenge for years. High performers have an amazing ability, I refer to it as “Business Stamina”, to sustain long periods of high stress to achieve an uncommon outcome. But there’s usually a steep price to pay at the finish line.
What happens for many of us is that we get so fixated on the finish line that we build unnecessary pressure or even burnout before we get there.
Reframing Focus: The Journey Over Destination
So, what if we could rethink where we direct our deep focus?
By shifting our focus from the finish line to simply delivering our best performance we will inevitably find that place some call "the zone" or being "locked in" or what psychologists refer to as the "flow state". While these states of mind cannot be forced, we can create an environment to make them more accessible with mindfulness and reprioritizing our focus.
Embracing the Present
Put another way, we have the ability to take that same intensity reserved for pushing to the finish line but redirect it to push into the present.
Put another way, we have an ability to take that same intensity reserved for pushing to the finish line but redirect it to push in the present.
The result could have a significant impact on how you work, not just the results of your work.
You could get even more done
You could do deeper, more meaningful work
You could produce better quality work for longer periods
You could achieve better, more sustainable results
You may be more engaged, less likely to get side-tracked or frustrated
You may even enjoy the process more
The True Reward
While there is no magic formula here and you likely cannot just flip a switch to get into the zone every day (elite athletes estimate they only get there 10-20% of the time), there may be a new way to direct your focus. What finish line are you focused on now? How could it change things if you were able to redirect your deep focus to what you are doing right now to get there?
This doesn’t mean eliminating goals or removing the finish line altogether. Nor does it suggest not to celebrate the wins along the way. It’s just a powerful reminder that if we can find a way to bring our best and do our best at the moment - every moment, we’ll likely look up and find ourselves in the winner’s circle anyway...and be able to enjoy the celebration.
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