“How many of those fans who watched you play tonight went home and played back all of your at-bats?,” I asked him as he stared out beyond my head. “And how many of them lost sleep over you going 0-3?,” I pressed a little further.
He picked at his food for a moment and then lifted his head revealing his signature smirk, “Probably nobody.”
“Exactly. Nobody,” I replied. “Even if someone did go home and lost sleep over your at-bats, I feel bad for them because they value your career more than they value theirs.”
I could see the tension release from his shoulders as he shook his head. He was finally “buying” what I was “selling.”
You would think the best in the world wouldn’t care what others thought. But it happens more than most people think. Most forget that the top players in the game are human beings too. They have the same fears and doubts that everyone else does.
The moment our minds drift to concerning ourselves with what other people think, we have given them permission to live in our space, in our minds.
We start living out other people’s dreams instead of living out our own.
By the end of our night, he understood that people weren’t paying as much attention to his career as he originally thought.
He had wasted valuable time and energy worrying about what a blogger thought of his game. He spent countless at-bats trying to play well enough to justify the signing bonus he received a few years earlier as the team’s number one draft pick. Through all of this, it became abundantly clear that he wasn’t failing. Because how can you fail when your worst day is better than most people’s best?
He was hitting .290 in A-ball.
People aren’t paying as much attention as you think they are, so stop giving them more time than they deserve.
So, who is paying attention to your career?
All Eyes On You
When you’re at the top of your game, you feel like everyone is watching every move you make. And in the big leagues cameras follow players around the ballpark every day, making this feeling ever more present and real.
Too many players are concerned with trying to play to their “potential.” The word alone brings about feelings of doubt and anxiety. The definition of potential is having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future. And potential typically originates from a scout’s evaluation or a fan’s opinion. Both of which are completely subjective.
There is nothing guaranteed when it comes to potential – or in life for that matter.
The future is widely unknown. Working towards your potential takes your focus off being the best you can be today, and shifts it to what others think you can be in the future.
But Who’s Paying Attention?
Nobody.
If you think a minor league stadium full of 7,000 fans on a “Thirsty Thursday” are scrutinizing your every move, think again. Those people came for the entertainment, and on this particular Thursday night, perhaps for the $1 beer. They hopefully left the ballpark having enjoyed three hours with friends and family and I’m certain they even caught a few plays in between.
How about your friends back home who are busy living their lives as you’re staring out a bus window in the middle of the night? Do you think they were checking their MiLB app on their phone every 30 minutes to see if you got a base hit or not? Highly unlikely. They were too busy worrying about their own lives and focusing on what they are doing in the present moment.
So why do we assume that everyone else’s life revolves around ours?
Success and life are a singular game. Focus your efforts on what you need in order to live the life you’ve always wanted.
Love,
KW
For more than a decade, Kevin Wilson has been one of the most respected hitting coaches in the game. He works behind the scenes as a private hitting consultant to some of the best hitters in Major League Baseball. In 2013, Kevin was the hitting coach for the USA Baseball 18U National Team. Team USA beat Japan for the Gold medal at the IBAF World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan.
He is the author of the Amazon #1 Best Seller The #GoodBatting Book and co-hosts a popular podcast, KWB Radio, that showcases unique conversations with the pros. If you want Kevin to speak at your next event or if you want take advantage of his popular 2-day KWB Experience for players and coaches, contact Kevin today!
Follow Kevin on twitter @KWBaseball and visit his website KWBaseball.com