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FEATURED ARTICLE
A BASEBALL PLAYER’S FOCUS CHECKLIST
The following checklist can be of use to baseball players who are committed to learning how to focus and who want to become consistent in this mental domain - before, during, and following games.
If so, the baseball player is advised to periodically review the following items of this checklist to determine how they are doing with regard to their focus.
1. Be prepared to pay attention to the immediate and important task at
hand.
2. Know precisely what that task at hand is about and why it is important.
3. Let the mind hone in on the task, letting go of everything else.
4. Use deep breathing in order to remain calm, centered, and in the
moment, when proceeding with the task at hand.
5. Stay in the moment but recognize that there are going to be times when
the mind drifts out of the moment—to the past or future—and off the
task at hand.
6. When there is mental drift out of the moment, do not beat yourself up
but rather gently bring yourself back into the present with deep
breathing and a keyword which has meaning for you.
7. Let the last moment go and do not judge yourself if it was not a good or
productive one; wait till the workout or game is over to do that.
8. Commit to the task at hand and follow through with it.
9. Move on to the next task and moment.
10. Enjoy the process of playing the game.
11. Periodically, challenge yourself by answering the following questions:
• Where am I now with my focus and how I manage the moment?
• Where would I like to be?
• How will I get there?