The current National Basketball Association (NBA) career leader in 3-point field goals made is Ray Allen. Allen began his professional career in 1996 and played through the 2013-2014 season. This 2010 Bleacher Report article shared that Allen spent 3 hours on shooting practice every home game day. Mental focus is important for Ray Allen, especially when we analyze quite possibly the most clutch 3-pointer I have ever witnessed.
On June 17, 2013, with 19.4 seconds remaining in game 6 of the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs led the Miami Heat by a score of 95 to 92. The Spurs were up 3 games to 2 and were a mere 19 seconds away from claiming an NBA championship. The Heat in bounded the ball, rushed up the floor, and found LeBron James open for a deep 3-point attempt. He missed, Chris Bosh came up with a crucial rebound, kicked the ball out to Ray Allen in the corner, and he hit a 3-pointer with 5 seconds remaining that forced the game into overtime. Miami went on to win that game, as well as game 7, to claim the NBA championship.
Words, however, won’t do this scene justice. Here is the clip showing the last 19 seconds of the game. Notice how Ray Allen backpedaled, positioned both feet behind the 3-point line, caught the ball, and then released smoothly with a defender in his face. The shot was magical. Ray Allen made it possible by consistent, dedicated effort in the perfecting of his craft.
Life Can Be Monotonous
It is not easy being a dad… Not to mention every other hat we wear (i.e., husband, employee, volunteer, neighbor, friend, etc.). I have found in my nearly 5 years of parenthood that life can be monotonous. I honestly feel like Bill Murray in the classic movie Groundhog Day, waking up over and over to relive the same day. And honestly, this COVID-19 quarantine hasn’t helped matters. I have caught my mind wandering, reflecting upon “what-ifs.” So, I decided to focus my research this week on why mental focus is important.
I found that our minds are constantly working. On the one hand, we try to focus on the task at hand. On the other hand, studies have found that our minds are wandering nearly 50% of the time. To achieve the personal productivity, wealth, and optimal health that we desire, we need to become the masters of our minds. One thing I hope to accomplish through honing my mental awareness is the capacity to be “all there” in my interactions with my boys. I believe that pushing through the monotony of life is crucial for our development as fathers. I hope the takeaways from my research provide value to your life.
How Pervasive Is Mind-Wandering?
To begin, let’s discuss a study conducted by Matt Killingsworth that was published in Greater Good Magazine. Matt’s study found that “forty-seven percent of the time, people are thinking about something other than what they’re currently doing.” I was even more intrigued when I saw a few of the tasks during which our minds wander (see below). Matt summarized his findings with this telling statement: “In every activity other than sex, people were mind-wandering at least 30 percent of the time, which I think suggests that mind-wandering isn’t just frequent, it’s ubiquitous. It pervades everything that we do.”
The Center for Performance Psychology defines mental focus as “the ability of an individual to direct mental effort on the most relevant information in the environment.” As a father, my environment changes throughout the day. I have so much going on that it’s difficult at times to maintain proper mental focus. Between family, my day job, my side hustles, my church responsibility, and my personal life, it’s no wonder that my mind is constantly wandering. That being said, I run the risk of zoning out when I can finally be with my kids, which will be detrimental to that tender relationship.
My Takeaway As A Dad
My biggest takeaway from the aforementioned study is that our minds wander half the time we are working… However, I started this post by sharing an experience that one man had while on his job. Do you think that Ray Allen spent 50% of the time during Game 6 of the NBA finals thinking about something other than the task at hand? Of course not! He was laser focused because he worked his butt off so that he could earn a living as a basketball player, something that obviously brought him tremendous joy and satisfaction.
You may have noticed that my blog is not only focused on dads, but on our children. There is no reason that, knowing what I know now, and with some hard work, my sons couldn’t enjoy a life where they can spend their time on what they actually want to do. Now, I’m not saying that they’ll play in the NBA. What I’m saying is that they will have the knowledge and tools necessary to earn a living in the most fulfilling way they can find. They won’t feel tied down to a job so that they can pay the bills. Rather, as my business partners in building true wealth and optimal health, they will enter the adult world poised and ready to accomplish anything.
3 Takeaways From My Research On Mental Focus
Below are three takeaways from my research this week on mental focus. I honestly can’t overstate this: the mind wields tremendous power.
#1 – Capitalizing on the Conflict Between Mindful Awareness and Mind-Wandering
I do a lot of push-ups… (If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, I’m sure you already knew this). When I do a push-up, I am putting a strain on my muscles, and this strain strengthens my muscles over time. Just like physical exercise, the conflict between mind-wandering and shifting back to mindful awareness strengthens our mental faculty. It is when we are able to maintain mental focus at key times in our lives that we are able to see incredible results. Ray Allen didn’t panic, he just made the shot.
Personally, I have not spent a lot of time meditating… However, the way this article described how mental focus is important has prompted me to give meditation more consideration. (If you have had any success with meditation, let me know in the comments). The article stated: “It’s not surprising—this kind of repeated mental exercise is like going to the gym, only you’re building your brain instead of your muscles. And mind-wandering is like the weight you add to the barbell—you need some “resistance” to the capacity you’re trying to build. Without mind-wandering to derail your attempts to remain focused, how could you train the skills of watching your mind and controlling your attention?”
#2 – Mind-Wandering Is Not Inherently Bad
Mind-wandering can actually be very constructive. When I begin writing a new blog post, I spend a period of time letting my mind wander, jotting down notes and impressions as they come to me. Entrepreneurs, authors, inventors, and many others attest to the importance of this mind-wandering process. What matters the most is when we are focusing and when our minds are wandering. I love how Jill Suttie summed this up in a Greater Good Magazine article:
“Now, new studies are bringing nuance to this science. Whether or not mind-wandering is a negative depends on a lot of factors—like whether it’s purposeful or spontaneous, the content of your musings, and what kind of mood you are in. In some cases, a wandering mind can lead to creativity, better moods, greater productivity, and more concrete goals… None of this suggests that mind-wandering is better for us than being focused. More likely, both aspects of cognition serve a purpose. Under the right circumstances, a wandering mind may actually benefit us and possibly those around us. The trick is to know when to set your mind free.”
#3 – Healthy Habits Matter
There is a reason that I focus on the three pillars of personal productivity, affluence, and optimal health here at the Rad Dad Pad… it is because they are all interconnected. Unsurprisingly, there are a few simple “hacks” to maintaining a more focused mind:
- Get Adequate Sleep: I know dads out there with kids who don’t sleep through the night are chuckling right now… But it’s true – getting enough sleep clears away the fatigue fog. You know your body and how much sleep you need. Usually adults need 6 – 8 hours per night, and I think that is a good goal to shoot for.
- Maintain A Healthy Diet: When you don’t feel well physically, how can you expect to feel well mentally? Health is everything.
- Exercise: Getting active can lead to “improved cognition, including memory, attention and processing speed.” It doesn’t need to be excessive… You can certainly lose weight and get fit without exercise, but in this context exercise can boost your mental strength.
Conclusion
As I reflected on my research, I came to the conclusion that our mind is more prone to wandering when we don’t have a plan. Ray Allen practiced consistently for years so that, on the evening of June 17, 2013, he could put himself in position to make a pivotal shot. If we dedicated ourselves, like Ray Allen, to the perfection of our craft (whatever that may be), we would see the power of our mind in action.
Robin Sharma said it best: “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.” It will take persistence and effort to take our lives and our minds to the next level. But based on what I have glimpsed about the next level, it will be worth the effort!