There's Always Something . . .

What Disc Golf Has Taught Me About Staying Focused While The World Desperately Tries To Distract You

Every week the boys and I come together for a disc golfing league at our local course.

And every week, there is always something that is trying to steal my attention away from the game.

When I first started attending these weekly league rounds, I would often place more pressure on myself to do well. I wanted to beat my previous score and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in beating a couple of other players in the overall standings as well.

One week, I missed an easy putt early in the round on hole 2. This was all it took for me to start getting frustrated and distracted.

I had an epiphany:

'Oh, this is the distraction for today.'

I realized, in that moment, that there was always something during these league rounds trying to pull my focus away from the game.

Whether it was someone playing their music too loud, another player picking up a borderline gimme, or missing an easy putt like the one I missed that day, there was always something that would get into my head early in the round to try to derail my efforts.

That's when I realized:

There is always something trying to steal your focus, and if you let it, it will.

There is never a shortage of distractions.

So what can we do?

We can recognize the distraction and ask ourselves:

Is there anything I can do about this right now?

If the answer to the question is yes, then address it.

In the case of disc golf, this could be redirecting my focus to my next shot, not my score. Maybe I could ask someone to turn their music down a notch if they have it blaring. You get the idea.

This doesn't just work in disc golf, you can apply it to everyday life too. For example, maybe my desk is too cluttered. Stop, organize the desk, continue.

If the distraction is something that can be remedied in the moment, then just fix it and move on.

If the answer to the question is no and I can't do anything to fix the problem, then I use this simple phrase:

'This is the distraction for today. There's always something.'

Recognize it, accept it, and redirect your focus.

I've noticed that when I say this, it allows me to kind of shrug my shoulders and just move on, knowing that no matter what I'm trying to do there will always be some amount of interference.

This simple phrase helps me reframe the interruption dismissively. Sometimes the awareness that you're being distracted is enough to recognize it, shelve it for now, and continue on.

This leads us to the next question:

"What is the most important thing that needs to happen right now?"

In disc golf, it's usually just the next shot.

What is your "next shot"?

What is the next thing that needs to happen to lead you to your intended result?

This is where your attention needs to go.

Place your focus there. Take a deep breath. Proceed.