One example is the most recent post by Richard Sherman, cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks titled, "On To The Next." It's a concept that we constantly talk to our players about. The best move on to the next quickly -- instantly in fact. On to the next shot...the next possession...the next day...the next game. Live in the present -- the past and future are irrelevant. Be process oriented.
Of course it is much easier said than done -- even for veteran professionals.
Sherman opens the article with this:
Earl Thomas was sitting in front of his locker after the game, and I could tell he was frustrated. Then he stood up, put his backpack on, left the locker room and walked out to the parking lot. He didn’t really talk to anybody. He just got in his car and went home.
That was in Week 1.
After we won.
That’s one of the things that makes Earl great. Anybody who knows him knows that he holds himself to an incredibly high standard. That day, he felt he didn’t play up to that standard. We got a win, and that was great. But Earl understands — like everybody else in the locker room — that just because you win doesn’t mean you did everything perfectly.
And conversely, just because you lose doesn’t mean you did everything wrong.
That's process oriented thinking. It's not the result that makes a difference in the evaluation of your level of execution. This is the mindset of the best that allows them to grow and improve as opposed to becoming complacent.
As Sherman than points out, this is the outcome of that type of thinking:
That’s one of our many mottos: Control what you can control. That expression was why Earl came in the next morning — after walking out of the locker room on Sunday frustrated, without talking to anybody — and went on to have a great week of practice. Because he knows that come Monday morning, you can’t control what happened on Sunday, and every minute you spend living in the past and dwelling on it is a minute you won’t be spending looking ahead to the next week and the next opponent. And that’s an easy way to lose back-to-back games.
Sherman goes on to talk about the culture of the Seahawks that allows them to hold themselves accountable in part due to the philosophy of Coach Pete Carroll:
Our coaches are probably tougher on us after a win. Coach Carroll always tells us that he wants us to be ourselves, because that’s why he brought us here. Because we’re competitors. We’re the kind of players — and the kind of people — he wants on his team.
Part of being a competitor is being self-motivated. We don’t need a coach to get on our ass after a loss. I’ll get on myself about it, and so will each guy in our locker room. Like I’ve said before, we have a crazy team with some chaotic dudes — a bunch of alphas. Take Earl, for example. He’ll do everything he can to get better, even after a win, because that’s how Earl is. That’s what makes him great. He’s never satisfied, even when he plays well.
The result is a process-oriented mindset displayed in this great quote by Sherman:
"Was I angry that we lost? Of course. Winning never gets old and losing always sucks. But you have to treat those two impostors just the same."
