Beating Paralysis Through Analysis. Focusing on Process Over Outcome
As we often talk about in rowing, you can overthink the rowing stroke, you can overthink your training, you can overthink your results. You can get yourself totally and completely locked up analyzing every aspect of your rowing.
But, analyzing (worrying) won’t get you anywhere. Instead, you need to be willing to recognize that there is no substitute for doing, and to engage your rowing accordingly.
A lot of times, when we feel stuck and aren’t getting the results we want, the opposite of analysis is needed. Many times, progress forward simply comes down to not worrying about outcomes so much, to really narrowing your focus down to the stroke that you’re on… Taking that stroke to the best of your ability, shelving it, taking the next one… And then to just keep stacking, stroke after stroke after stroke, without overanalyzing how it all effects the desired result.
On the great days, you’ll be taking great strokes. On the average days, you’re working to make sure you’re doing at least as well as you did the day before. And on the terrible days (there will always, always be terrible days) you work to limit the damage… How little do you let the rowing stroke, or the splits on the ergometer get away from you?
And if you can subscribe to this philosophy of narrowing your focus to the stroke you’re on, you will always be able look yourself in the mirror, and say, “I gave the very best of what I had TODAY.” And you will ensure a greater number of better rowing strokes. And the more of these better strokes you stack on top of one another, well, quite simply, the better you will become at rowing.
It is the mindset of being present for each stroke you take that creates consistency in movement. In a sport like rowing, which rewards consistency between and across stokes, this concept of consistency in movement creates improved technique, power, and speed.
Opportunity is created through that movement. Stop analyzing, stop worrying, stop focusing on the result. Get lost in the process and do.