Focus On Improving After A Loss
A loss can sometimes have a lingering affect on athletes and coaches.
You can start to question your ability and allow mistakes to haunt you, depleting your confidence.
If you allow it, loses can zap your motivation and prevent you from achieving your goals.
Getting over a loss quickly is a hallmark characteristic of championship teams and elite successful athletes.
But what is the best way to move on after a big loss?
The answer is to focus on how to improve instead of beating yourself up over the past.
The Florida State University football is facing this dilemma after a devastating loss to Georgia Tech.
Florida State University was unbeaten when they faced a Georgia Tech team who was on a five-game losing streak.
In the final play of the game, the Yellow Jackets blocked a FSU 56-yard field goal attempt and ran the ball back 78 yards for the tie-breaking touchdown.
The FSU loss was their first of the season and may have significant ramifications for their run at the national championship.
FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher was asked what they would do differently to prepare for next week’s contest. Fisher said his team would get right back on the horse and move forward. Often when you relive losses, it can build into more losses.
FISHER: “Line up and play the same way we did last week. We’re going to do nothing different… We’re going to play and not let one loss become two and [we’re] going to work our butts off and [we’re] going to practice.”
In response to how his team would get over the loss, Fisher is not in panic mode, nor does he want his team to panic.
You can’t turn back time and erase the loss, so it is full speed ahead, prepare for the next team and get back to work.
FISHER: “There ain’t any magical dust you are going to throw on them or magical words you are going to say… You got to make your mind up that you are going to play. Athletics is about one thing, doing. Desire is great, dreams are great, goals are great. Commitment is the key. You got to be committed all the way in to do what you are going to do. We lost one game, the sky is not falling.”
Tip for Moving Past a Loss
In order to move past a loss, you need to ask yourself two questions:
What can I do about the loss? If you do not own a time machine, the answer is NOTHING! You can’t change it, so stop wasting the mental energy ruminating about the loss. Remind yourself that the sky is not falling.
What will I do after the loss? You need to learn the appropriate lessons on what you can change for future games then get back to work. Like Coach Fisher said, “Commit all the way in to do what you are going to do.”
The key is to think about how you will learn and grow instead of dwelling on the past and the mistakes you might of made.
Check Out Our Video of the Week, Fear of Failure and Mental Toughness in Sports!
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