Control The Controllables

"On the court, I can't control my opponent's play, but I can control my preparation,
my focus, and my effort. That's where I put my energy." - Ash Barty

I love the Olympics.

The spectacle of the world’s finest athletes coming together every four years is such a treat. There’s the obvious pageantry and the traditions, but what I love is the raw human drama that unfolds in real-time.

But beyond their amazing physicality, what truly fascinates me is witnessing how these elite competitors and their coaches use their mindsets to gain a strategic advantage.

In an arena where we might expect sheer talent or genetic advantage to determine the winner, it’s often the one with the strongest mindset who emerges triumphant.

If you watched the Games as I did, you might have noticed a common catch-cry among the coaches and commentators: "Control the Controllables."

When athletes harnessed this principle, it became their superpower!

Imagine the immense pressure they face, knowing that this could be their one shot at Olympic glory. After years of rigorous preparation, dedication and sacrifice, they step onto these hollowed stages… with one opportunity to perform at their peak.

This is the stuff of dreams.

Yet, the intensity of these moments must surely mess with their heads?

With a global audience watching and commenting on their every moment (this dream of gold), it has the potential of becoming a nightmare… where living with a lifetime of regret could be the consequence of everything unravelling.

I’m certain that every Olympian is coached to embrace the idea that simply being an Olympian is a monumental achievement. That earning a medal is merely a bonus. Yet, I can only imagine how their inner critic must have been running rampant, whispering fears like, “What if I perform poorly? What if everything goes wrong? What if I squander this one chance?”

This is where their mindset training becomes crucial. In these high-pressure moments, the focus must shift away from everything they cannot control and instead, they must fully embrace the mantra, “Control the Controllables.”

It’s not about the circumstances that they face but how they respond to what they can control.

Once they step into the arena, they have no power over their opponents, the judges, the weather, the crowd, and certainly the commentary. But they do have control over their thinking, their attitude and how they choose to respond in every moment.

This approach - catching and reframing our inner critic and focusing on what we can control - is not exclusive to elite athletes. It’s a game changer for all of us!

Life is tough and full of challenges. It can hold us back, often preventing us from making progress and reaching our dreams and goals.

Catching and reframing our inner critic and embracing the Control the Controllables approach is not just for the elite Olympian athletes. This approach is also for us mere mortals.

In fact for many people, life is about slugging it out every day trying to navigate all the things that stop us from achieving.

On top of that, the world around us is filled with troubling issues: the cost-of-living crisis, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, divisive politics, a fragile economy, polarised communities, disengaged workforces, toxic social media and the ongoing climate crisis.

However, like well-trained athletes we must remind ourselves that these things are all beyond our control. Obsessing over them will only heighten anxiety, foster helplessness, and lead to inaction.

But when we focus on controlling the controllables, we reclaim our agency. This shift allows us to move from a place of helplessness, to one of engagement and being fully present. By adopting this proactive approach, we not only manage the challenges in these now moments but we also set the stage for a better future.

As Brené Brown so wisely said,

"When we focus on what we can control, we empower ourselves to take action and make a difference. We can't control everything, but we can control our responses and attitudes."

Wishing you a wonderful week of controlling the controllables.

Richard Dore
CEO - Director of Partnerships
Proteus Leadership