Champion Focus in 30 Seconds
How to escape the distraction trap and train your mind to flow
On a hot Tuesday evening last summer, I leant over the ropes of a boxing ring to watch two men sparring. Something wasn’t right. Having coached both of them for years, I knew these fighters well. Normally, their rounds were full of classy angles, pinpoint accuracy and quick reactions. But on this day, they looked sloppy and out of synch. Rather than connecting with intention, most of their punches were hitting nothing but air. Their footwork was messy, they failed to defend, and they looked out of breath after a minute of work.
As any coach would likely do, my first instinct was to shout out practical advice. I told them to plant their feet, use their jabs and slow down. But these tips fell on deaf ears because the problem wasn’t technical. They were distracted rather than incapable. They weren’t present.
Finding flow
I competed as a kickboxer and boxer for just shy of a decade, and I’ve been coaching for almost fifteen years. Getting into “the zone” while under the pressure of competition is a hot topic for anyone in the world of sport. But it’s not only athletes who need to find their flow — that effortless, automatic state in which everything seems to work perfectly. Maybe your challenge is pitching to a…
