THE POWER YOU POSSESS
Each day there are many things vying for our most valuable resources - our time, our energy, and our attention. It's not always easy, but one of the best ways to put yourself in a position to win is to focus on giving those resources to the things that really matter. Of course on the flip side, one of the best ways to set yourself up for failure is to waste those resources on things that don't.
This is one way champions separate themselves from everyone else. They recognize that their time, their energy, and their attention are most wisely invested in the areas they can control, and that those resources are squandered by investing them in those areas they can’t control. It’s a popular mantra in coaching and in leadership: control the controllables. Wherever it is you’re working to win today, that's great advice. It helps you maximize the power you possess.
So what are the controllables? They're the areas that you and you alone are 100% responsible for determining. You and you alone control your effort. You and you alone control your attitude. You and you alone control your response to whatever it is that happens to you - good or bad. And you and you alone control the way you treat others, even when it’s not easy or convenient. No matter what happens, no one else has the power to determine your performance in those critically important areas but you.
When you make the difficult choice to focus your time, your energy, and your attention on the controllables, you’re choosing the way of the champion, and empowering the best version of yourself. You’re taking full advantage of the opportunities that are in front of you, and getting the highest return on your investment. You’re tapping into the power you possess.
When you make the difficult choice to focus your time, your energy, and your attention on the controllables, you’re choosing the way of the champion, and empowering the best version of yourself.
Of course, doing what champions do in any area - including this one - isn’t easy. If it was, everyone would do it. You may know from experience that it's not hard to devote your time, your energy, and your attention to things that exist outside your control. Maybe we do it because those things usually play a significant role, not only in the experience we have, but often in the outcome we get. Or maybe we do it because there are so many of them to choose from. The list of uncontrollables can seem endless.
Ultimately, though, you don’t get to control anyone else’s attitude or effort. You don’t get to control their response to what happens, and you don’t get to control how they choose to treat you or the other people around them. You don’t get to control any of the decisions that other people make, including what they think of you and your performance. You don’t get to control the conditions you're required to perform in, or the bad luck and tough breaks that will undoubtedly be part of your experience.
When you choose to devote your time, your energy, and your attention to those uncontrollable areas, you make yourself weaker. Instead of owning your experience, decisions like these encourage you to become the victim to circumstances you can’t control, and to forfeit the power you do possess.
If you struggle in this area, welcome to the club. The pull to focus on the uncontrollables is tempting for each of us. Without discipline and intention, we can fall into that trap without even realizing it. If you’re experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, or worry today, it might be that you’ve unknowingly given too much of your time, your energy, or your attention to things you can’t control. It may be time for a reset.
Get back to focusing on you - on your effort and your attitude. Own your response to whatever comes today - good or bad - and treat people well, even if it’s not easy or convenient. Do what champions do and control the controllables. That’s the best use of your time, your energy, and your attention. It puts you in the best position to win. And in this world where so much exists outside your control, it’s the best way to utilize the power you possess.