Graham Betchart, a sport’s psychologist—who has trained some of the best players in the NBA—was recently a guest on Nike’s Trained Podcast, where he talked with host Ryan Flaherty about his secrets for getting athletes to play in the moment.  

“How easily can I roll on [after a loss or a missed shot]? How easily can I be like water? “

Graham Betchart heard on the Nike Trained Podcast

His biggest tip for success on and off the court?

Take the focus off of winning and onto the actions that you can actually control. In other words, he challenges athletes to become present in the moment, trust in their own skills, and ruthlessly accept the outcome with compassion and grace by asking themselves: “How easily can I roll on [after a loss or a missed shot]? How easily can I be like water? 

How to judge your successes without focusing on the outcome?

Betchart recommended asking yourself two questions: 

  • How potent am i in the present moment?, and;
  • What’s the impact of my actions?

He followed that, “We all have unlimited power, and it’s about learning how to create potency in the present and [having] an impact with your actions.” 

On being the C.E.O. of your life:

On the pod, Betchart noted that anyone can be the C.E.O.—a.k.a. the conscious energy officer—of their own life by doing a simple mindfulness exercise before making a decision: “Take a deep breath, choose your own responses, and watch what happens.”

He followed that:

“Whatever you’re doing, you want to be working on creating good energy in every situation.”

Graham Betchart heard on the Nike Trained Podcast