Clear Focus: The Key to Performing Without Overthinking

Dec 18

Why you shouldn’t analyse your performance while performing

As a high-performance athletics coach, I see this time and time again - athletes, whether seasoned professionals or juniors, falling into the trap of analysing their performance in the middle of the action. The result? A subpar performance. The same phenomenon occurs outside the world of sports, too. Think about delivering a high-stakes presentation to senior leadership or interviewing for a dream job. Many of us instinctively evaluate how we’re doing in real-time. I've seen many times how colleagues or managers struggle once they hit a bump in the road during a high-stakes meeting.

But here’s the truth: analysing your performance as you perform can have a profoundly negative impact. Why? Because it pulls your focus away from what truly matters - the task itself. Instead of running your fastest or fully engaging with your audience, you’re preoccupied with judging the "how" instead of executing the "what."

The cost of overthinking in the moment

When you shift your focus to self-analysis mid-performance, your mind detaches from the present moment. You stop performing. In a race, this distraction can make you lose your rhythm and flow. In a business setting, it can cause you to miss key conversational cues or disconnect from your audience. The ability to stay fully present is essential for achieving peak performance.

Finding the right focus

So, what does the "right focus" look like? And does it differ depending on whether you're an amateur or a top performer? In my experience, the principles are surprisingly universal, but the way they’re applied can differ in intensity and precision.

Lessons from athletics and business

When coaching athletes, I focus on "core elements" of technique - the fundamental building blocks of a strong performance. These core elements apply to both amateurs and professionals because they form the foundation of success. Even with the most successful athletes, the 'check-list' of core elements still applies. Among these, one element often stands out as the most critical. For example, in hurdle sprinting, body position is the cornerstone. Without the right body position, other elements like speed and rhythm can’t fall into place.

As an athletics coach, my primary goal is to help athletes develop an innate sense of this foundational element. Once they can consistently find and feel their optimal body position, they have a reliable anchor. This allows them to recover quickly when things go wrong, such as touching a hurdle or losing balance.

This principle applies just as well in business. In a presentation, for instance, the foundational element might be maintaining engagement with your audience. If you lose track, refocus on making eye contact or asking a question to bring the energy back. Another foundational element can be to reconnect with the energy you need to deliver what you want to deliver. This means that you need to regain internal excitement to present for example - this will automatically translate into a better performance.

Simplified mindset to apply focus in critical moments

The connection between focus and performance lies in simplifying your mindset. Identify the single most important factor driving your success and train yourself to instinctively return to it when needed.

The key isn’t to think about it - it’s to feel it.

Let your coach or manager be the analyst

One of the most valuable lessons I share with my athletes is this: "Stop analysing while running. That’s my job." Your role is to stay immersed in the performance. This simple shift - trusting someone else to critique and guide you later - can lead to immediate and significant improvements. From one run to the next, or one presentation to the next, this mindset can create dramatic results.

Final thoughts

High performance hinges on your ability to stay present and focused on the task at hand. By identifying your foundational element and letting go of self-analysis during the moment, you’ll tap into a state of flow that drives exceptional results. Remember, your job is to perform - not to analyse. That small but powerful shift in focus can make all the difference.

Think about this: how much more could you achieve if you let go of overthinking and trusted your preparation? Experiment with this mindset and see the difference.

Simon Lavanchy