Results don’t define you. How you respond to them does.
We are trained to chase results.
Win the match. Nail the forehand. Hit the goal.
But when all your energy goes into the attachment of a preferred outcome, you lose sight of the process that is necessary to reach any goal.
There are no shortcuts and no skipping steps. Just sheer focus, consistency and persistence.
When you attach to results, every mistake may feel like a failure.
When you focus on growth, every rep feels like proof that you are one step closer.
The Trap of Outcome-Based Thinking
Outcome-based thinking, often sounds like this:
“If I win, I’ll feel confident.”
“If I lose, I’m not good enough.”
“If I play well, then I can relax.”
But here’s the truth: attaching to results keeps you stuck in reaction mode and all or nothing.
Your emotional state should not rise and fall with every point won or loss or every positive or negative comment from a coach or opponent. You have to learn how to filter your mind and qualify feedback. It is your journey. Own it. Fully.
Detaching doesn’t mean you stop caring. It means you trust the work and input given to know now the results will show in due time, if not now.
Trust your preparation.
Trust your instincts.
Trust that the results will take care of themselves and focus on what you can control:
Your effort, attitude, awareness, presence, persistence and preparation.
A Process-Driven Mindset
Your focus is fuel for the mind.
When your focus is only directed towards the end of the match, you deplete your limited mental energy with worry and anxiety, before the match even begins. In these moments, remind yourself. You have no control over the result, just how you show up. So decide now, how will you show up.
Thought (Old) | Shift (New) |
|---|---|
“I need to win this match.” | “I’m going to compete with discipline and focus.” |
“I can’t miss another shot.” | “I’ll stay curious about what this point teaches me.” |
“They’re better than me.” | “I’m learning how to stay steady under pressure.” |
Manage Your Energy
When the mind stops stressing, the body starts performing.
Your mental energy must be managed intentionally.
When you attach your worth to results you have limited control over, your energy leaks through judgment, comparison, and anxiety.
When you stay centered, you conserve energy for what matters most, executing.
The most composed athletes aren’t calm because they win.
They win because they’ve learned to stay calm.
It doesn't “get easier.” You have to get better.
Weights in the gym don’t get lighter. You just get stronger and better. There is no other way.
A Sample Practice of Detachment for Match Day
Before Practice or Match
Write down 3 controllable (i.e. effort, focus, body language).
Set an intention: “Today, I trust my preparation. I will do my best and focus on what I can control.”
During Play
If you catch yourself outcome-thinking, take one deep breath.
Reset your focus on how it feels: footwork, contact, rhythm.
After Play
Reflect, without judgment. Ask:
What felt good?
What did I learn?
Where can I grow next time?
This practice helps to builds mental endurance.
Trusting the Process.
Now pause for a moment. What is your process?
Start with what is your goal? What am I willing to sacrifice for that goal? How do you get there?
Great, now we map it out and get to work.
If you lack proper goal setting, tracking, or any process to map out the plan to achieve your goal, then begin moving in that direction.
Driving without a gps/map will keep you in motion, but what direction will you headed towards if you have not decided on a destination?
Trusting the process begins with defining what success means to you. Mapping out your desire into clear goals, your goal to a plan, your plan to a process and then your results are a reflection of your process executed over and over again.
When you stop gripping so tightly, your game becomes lighter.
Performance feels more flow.
You begin to enjoy it again.
The result is no longer your identity, it’s simply data to evolve.
That’s when growth accelerates.
Before your next practice or match, ask yourself:
Am I focused on the outcome, or on my process?
Am I playing from fear, or from curiosity & self-trust?
What would it feel like to let go, trust, and just play? (you have to trust yourself. If its a skill development challenge then we focus on that, but don’t think your way to a loss.)
Remember:
You are not your last score.
You are the habits, awareness, and resilience you build every day.
Keep playing free.
Keep learning fast.
Keep leading yourself.
Thank you for being a part of the 821 community.
Your commitment to growth, joy, and connection gives meaning to this space.
Through the Players Journal, we return to what matters most - learning to love the game for its rhythm, its lessons, and its quiet moments of progress.
Winning is a moment.
But love for the game is a lifetime.
Keep showing up with curiosity.
Keep playing with heart.
Keep finding beauty in the process.
Until next time,
The 821 Team
